Can A Mistake Ever Truly Make Right?
by Cinderella's Slipper
Summary: She always knew there was something different about her, but she never knew to what extent, nor did she know just how unwanted she had been, what a mistake she had been. Doing the only thing she can think of lands her in some serious hot water. Can she somehow manage to make amends for her mistaken life? And will an unexpected friend help her get her life back together?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

**:-:-:-:-:-:**

**Monday, September 1, 1997  
****London, England  
****King's Cross Station  
****10:45am**

**:-:-:-:-:-:**

It had been three weeks since she'd left home, three weeks since she'd last seen her family. Three weeks since she'd learned the truth. She'd been living on the streets for the past three weeks, eating what she could, when she could, which wasn't much and spending the days in a library in Muggle London, a book on the table in front of her while she tried to get some sleep, making it look as if she'd simply fallen asleep while studying. The nights were spent wandering the streets of Muggle London. When she'd run from the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, she knew the first place anybody would look, if they even cared enough to bother, was Diagon Alley. The likelihood of coming across anyone she knew or who knew her was far lower in Muggle London than in the Wizarding World, hence her choosing to avoid the Wizarding World altogether.

She'd been on her way to the library when her feet decided to take her on a different path. She didn't know what led her to come here, nor why she made her way inside, she just found herself standing in the shadows, hiding behind a pillar in King's Cross station as she watched family upon family, including her own as well as her brother's friends, make their way through the station and through the barrier onto Platform 9 ¾.

As the clock chimed eleven, she sighed and slowly made her way out of the station, knowing that the Hogwarts Express had already left the station and everyone's parents would be making their way home. She knew that leaving had been the right decision when she'd watched her family walk by where she had been hiding, never once hearing her name mentioned. Just because it had been the right decision didn't mean it didn't hurt. It was then and there that she realized what she needed to do in order to survive on her own. She needed to be as cold and clear as water, she needed to show them that they couldn't hurt her, not anymore, and in order to do that, to not hurt, she needed to stop feeling. You couldn't hurt if you couldn't feel.

She had walked by the building everyday for the past three weeks, never really giving it or the sign on the door much thought, at least not until this morning. She was tired and hungry and she knew that if she was serious about wanting to survive then she needed to do something about it. Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and pushed the door open, stepping through and into the building. It took her eyes a few minutes to adjust to the dimness inside but once they had, she was not quite prepared for what she saw. There were a few men scattered around the room, being waited upon by scantily clad, rather _well_ endowed women. As she made her way across the room towards the bar, she heard what she could only assume was a woman's moan coming from a shadow clad booth in the corner.

"Make a wrong turn Miss?" asked the man behind the bar gruffly. He was about six feet tall with piercing blue eyes, dark brown hair and all muscle.

"I'd like to speak to the manager please," Ginny said, hoping her nervousness didn't come through in her voice.

"What do you want to see him for?" You want a job or something?" laughed the bartender.

"Actually I do," Ginny said. "I saw the sign on the door and I thought…"

"Thought what, that you could get a job here with that scrawny figure of yours. To get a job here Missy you gotta look like _that_," he sneered as he indicated a waitress that walked by, the same girl Ginny had noticed on her way in. "Why don't you just run along home now and be a good little girl and go work in some bookstore or something."

"But you don't understand. I don't _have_ a home to go back to," Ginny argued.

"Of course you do Sweetheart. A nice wholesome girl like you _always_ has a home to go to. Now go on and get out of here before I call the cops."

"But sir, you _don't_ understand. I _need_ this job," Ginny pleaded.

"Sure, whatever you say Sweetheart," the bartender said as he signalled the bouncer.

"Wait! Please," Ginny cried as the bouncer came up behind her and forcefully grabbed her arm.

"Let's go Miss," the bouncer said who was a large black man who probably weighed twice what Ginny did, most of that weight being muscle.

"Let go of me," Ginny ordered as she struggled to free herself from the bouncer's hold.

"You heard the young lady Peterson, let go of her," ordered a voice from the far corner of the bar.

"Of course, Mr. Carrows," the bouncer replied, doing as he was instructed as the man that had spoken made his way towards where Ginny and the bouncer were standing.

"I'm terribly sorry Miss…"

It took Ginny a split second to realize that giving her real name to these people might not be the wisest or safest of things to do. "Kensington," she said. "Fyre Kensington."

"Fyre eh? Interesting name. You certainly seem to live up to it, at least from the little I've seen of you so far," he said as he finally stepped into the light enough for Ginny to get a look at him. The man before her stood about six foot five with a trim, yet fit physique judging by the clothing he was wearing, he had high cheekbones under a pair of green eyes and his short sandy brown hair had a light wave to it. "My name is Simon Carrows. I'm the manager slash owner of The Hidden Pearl. How can I help you?"

"I need a job and I saw the sign on your door," Ginny said.

"Well then, why don't you come with me and we'll talk," Simon said, holding his hand out to indicate Ginny should precede him. "Now then Miss…Kensington, was it?" he began as he led Ginny into his office, closing the door behind them, allowing the locks and wards to fall silently into place immediately as the door closed. "How can I help you?"

"As I said out there, I need a job," Ginny said.

"And you want to work here," Simon said.

"Mr. Carrows, I will do just about anything. I _really_ need a job. I've been on the streets for three weeks and I've barely eaten or slept the entire time. The last time I've eaten anything recently was I think three days ago. I just…I really _really_ need a job and as I said, I'll do just about anything at this point if it means I can have a roof over my head and food to eat," Ginny said.

"Anything?"

"Yes Mr. Carrows, anything."

"Then strip," Simon instructed.

"Excuse me?" asked Ginny in shock.

"Remove. Your. Clothes," Simon told her. When Ginny still made no move to do as he said, Simon pushed up off the desk he had been leaning on and started for the door. "Good day, Miss Kensington."

"Wait! Please," Ginny pleaded.

Simon stopped feet from the door when he heard Ginny call out, turning to look at her, one eyebrow raised expectantly. "I'm waiting Miss Kensington."

Slowly Ginny started to remove her jacket, letting it drop to the floor at her feet as she toed her shoes off. When her arms were free of her jacket, she lifted her sweater up over her head. Once free of her sweater, Ginny hesitated for a split second before undoing her jeans and pulling them off her legs, making sure to remove her socks in the process. Dropping her jeans into the pile with the rest of her clothes, she turned her attention to her blouse, fumbling with her buttons somewhat as she tried to control her trembling. She dropped her arms to her sides, her hands balled into fists as she fought the overwhelming urge to try to cover herself after she had added her blouse to her pile of clothes.

"All of it Miss Kensington. The camisole and panties as well," Simon instructed.

Taking a deep breath, Ginny crossed her arms over her stomach and took a hold of her camisole hem in both hands and slowly pulled it up over her head, dropping it onto the pile of clothes at her feet before slipping her thumbs into the waistband of her panties and pulling them down her legs and adding them to the pile as well. As she stood back up she could not stop herself from wrapping her arms around her waist protectively.

Simon stood there taking in the now naked young woman before him. /-/Nice long, shapely legs, despite her rather short stature, slender waist, breasts are on the too small side but that can be fixed easily enough,/-/ he thought to himself as he stood for a few minutes looking Ginny over before starting to circle her. "How old are you, Miss Kensington?"

"Si-sixteen," replied Ginny nervously.

"Sixteen," Simon mused as he stepped in front of Ginny, leaning back against his desk once more. "You seem quite a bit younger than sixteen Miss Kensington."

"I'm sixteen," Ginny snapped. "I turned sixteen three weeks ago."

"I see," Simon said as he leant over and carefully picked up Ginny's discarded camisole off the pile of clothes on the floor. "It is my belief Miss Kensington that you can tell a lot about a woman by her choice of undergarments," he said as he straightened up. "This camisole top of yours for instance. You say you are sixteen, you even have the body of a sixteen-year-old young woman and yet you are not wearing a proper bra to support your breasts, instead you are wearing this," he said as he held out the camisole and let it hang from his fingers, "the undergarment choice of a young child, and one that looks like you've probably been wearing it for the better part of the last five years or so if the mending and holes are to be considered. This tells me you are a young woman who has been repressed by her family for years; a young woman who is not being allowed to grow. A young woman who may have made a mistake as a child and who is being punished for it by harsh restrictions, restrictions to try to keep you the child you were before your mistake, not the woman this mistake will turn you into. The choice of colour is also very telling. Tell me, Miss Kensington, are you a virgin? Are you untouched by man?"

"I…I…"

"Tell me truly, Miss Kensington," Simon instructed. "Is your maidenhood still intact?"

"Yes," Ginny replied, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that, Miss Kensington," Simon pressed. "Are you a virgin?"

"Yes," Ginny said, her voice it's normal tone, even if it did have a slight waver to it.

"Have you yourself or anyone else ever touched you?"

"Touched me?" asked Ginny in confusion. "Touched me how?"

Simon held his hand out towards Ginny, indicating for her to take it. When Ginny's hand was in his he pulled her close, standing her between his legs. "Has anyone ever caressed your breasts or touched you here?" he asked as he laid a hand on Ginny's abdomen before letting it slide ever so slightly down so it was nestled in the hair between her legs, his fingertips mere millimetres away from their target.

"N-no. No one's ever…"

"What about here?" Simon asked laying his finger on Ginny's lips. "Have you ever been kissed Miss Kensington?"

Ginny shook her head before starting to lean forward into Simon's touch.

"Excellent," Simon purred as he stood up suddenly, causing Ginny to step back quickly so she didn't get knocked over as Simon walked around his desk, opening a drawer and pulling out a box which he set down on the desk. "You shall become one of my most valuable pearls, Miss Kensington. That is if you accept of course," he said as he picked up the box and held it out towards Ginny.

Ginny reached out and took the box from Simon, letting out a gasp when she opened it to reveal a strand of blue pearls.

"You have two choices Miss Kensington. You can hand the necklace back to me, pick up your clothes, walk out that door and return to the streets or you can put that necklace on, thereby agreeing to be one of my pearls and I will ensure that you have both a roof over your head and food to eat. The choice is yours. I will leave you alone to make your decision. I will return in five minutes time for your answer," Simon said before making his way out of his office.

He could not keep the smirk off his face as he re-entered the office a short while later. He was quite pleased to see that the potion he had doused the pearls in earlier had worked as he had hoped, when he found Ginny lying unconscious on the floor, the necklace secured around her neck. Closing the door behind him, he made his way over to the far corner, pulling his wand out in the process and quickly lighting a fire in the fireplace hidden there, before throwing a pinch of Floo powder into it. "Wormtail!" he bellowed.

"Y-yes s-sir?" stuttered Wormtail as his head appeared in the flames.

"Tell the Dark Lord, it is done," Simon said.

"It-it's done?"

"Did I _stutter_ Wormtail? It is _done_," Simon snapped angrily. "Now be a good little lackey and tell the Dark Lord I have the one he seeks," he ordered, ending the fire call.

"Where is she?" demanded a voice from the corner a few minutes later.

"She is here, my Lord," Simon said as he rose from his desk and walked around to the other side of it, to where Ginny lay unconscious on the floor.

"You're certain it's her Carrows?" Voldemort demanded as he made his way around the desk.

"Yes, my Lord," Simon said. "The girl may have introduced herself as Fyre Kensington but she _is_ Ginevra Weasley."

"If she gave a different name, _how_ can you be so certain?" questioned Voldemort as he took in the young woman who was lying naked and unconscious on the floor.

"There are two things that tell me she is Ginevra Weasley, my Lord. First, her hair. It's the same colour as _all_ the Weasleys. The second is the fact that she is lying unconscious on my floor," Simon said.

"I'll grant you the red hair," Voldemort said, "but how does her being unconscious tell you it's Ginevra Weasley?"

"With Watterly's help, I managed to alter one of Snape's potions. By adding a single strand of Ginevra Weasley's hair, supplied of course by her brother, to the potion, we were able to key the potion to her magical signature. The necklace you see around her neck was doused in the potion. The effects kicked in shortly after she put the necklace on. The one you seek is yours, my Lord," Simon said as he bowed.

"Excellent," Voldemort purred. "I want her under the control of one of the inner circle."

"Malfoy, my Lord?"

"He would be my first choice yes, but he has not shown his usual lust for this sort of thing as of late," Voldemort observed. "No I think Zabini would be the next best choice. He'll be able to control her just as well as Malfoy could once he's claimed her power for our cause. I want her unrecognisable as Ginevra Weasley and she needs to meet Zabini's preferences. Do you have the required potions ready?"

"I have them here, my Lord," Simon said as he pulled two bottles off a shelf.

"Good. Give her the first and we'll get to work then give her the second to make the changes permanent," Voldemort ordered.

Simon walked over to where Ginny lay and rolled her onto her back, laying her out spread eagle before forcing the potion down her throat.

As soon as Simon stepped back, Voldemort set to work casting spell after spell, altering not only Ginny's physical appearance but altering her on the inside slightly as well, making it so she no longer bled monthly and so that there was no possible way she could get pregnant accidentally or otherwise. When Voldemort was done altering Ginny, he had Simon administer the second potion, which would lock in the changes he had just done to Ginny, permanently.

When everything was done and Voldemort had gone, Simon picked Ginny up and apparated from the club, appearing in a bedroom next to a bed, which he laid Ginny down on, pulling the blankets up over her and placing a key and an envelope on the bedside table before apparating out of the apartment and back to the club to wait for the signal that would tell him Ginny had woken.

**:-:-:-:-:-:**

**Thursday, September 4, 1997  
****Somewhere in London, England  
****9:30am**

**:-:-:-:-:-:**

Ginny moaned tiredly as she rolled onto her back and rubbed her eyes. Opening them slowly she looked around the room as she propped herself up with her elbows, taking in her surroundings. She found herself in a nicely furnished room in what she guessed was a queen sized bed under a white silk comforter. As she looked around the room she noticed an envelope on the side table. Reaching over she picked up the envelope and pulled the letter out, letting her head fall back on the pillows as she began to read.

_Fyre,_

_I am pleased that you have accepted my offer of employment at The Hidden Pearl. The necklace you received is yours and you are expected to wear it at all times while inside the club as it not only identifies you as one of my pearls but also signifies your status within the club. (I will explain this more fully this evening when you arrive for you first night of work.)_

_You have agreed to be one of my pearls and so I will live up to the promise I made you. The apartment you now find yourself in is yours so long as you work for me.__ It is __your__sanctuary. Club business is just that. Club business. And as such will __only__ take place within the walls of the club and __not__ in your private residence. __Any__ attempt on your part to violate our agreement within your sanctuary walls will not go unpunished. But we will speak more on this this evening._

_As for attire, the club has a strict policy on what you may or may not wear while working. Again we will go through this this evening. I am sending Jennifer; she is one of my other pearls, to you this morning to assist you in selecting appropriate clothing. You can expect her to arrive around mid-morning._

_Until this evening Miss Kensington._

_Welcome to The Hidden Pearl._

_Simon Carrows._

Ginny lay there for a while simply reading the letter over and over again, making sure she understood what Simon was and was not telling her and trying to figure out what he meant by what she could and could not wear, trying to recall what she had seen the other girls wearing only to have her memory of it go fuzzy.

Deciding she would worry about it later, Ginny rolled over and climbed out of bed, before making her way into the bathroom where she grabbed a towel as she turned the hot water on in the sink. It was as she was splashing water on her face that she noticed there was something different about her hair. Grabbing the towel she'd hung over the side of the sink, she quickly dried her face and looked into the mirror. Her once wavy red hair was now straight and multi-coloured. The underneath section was now a deep dark brown, almost black colour while the top most layer was a much more vibrant red, while the layers in between worked their way between the two colours, making her hair look like a flame. If what she was feeling was right then her hair, which was once down to her shoulder blades, now hung much longer down her back. Turning so she was side onto the mirror she stood on her tiptoes to try and get a better look at her hair. It was while she was doing this that she noticed another major change to her appearance.

"Oh God," she cried as she bolted out of the bathroom, running back into the bedroom, sure she would find a full-length mirror in there somewhere. Pulling open the closet door, Ginny found the mirror she was looking for.

"Bloody hell," she cried when she got a good look at herself in the full-length mirror. She barely recognized the girl staring back at her. Her hair was indeed longer and layered, now ending just below the small of her back and it was the colour of flame, her freckles had been removed, as had the hair under her arms and on her legs. All these things she could handle, it was the other two she wasn't too sure about, and was the most upsetting. She could barely believe that the hair that was normally between her legs was gone. She was as bare there now as she was before she'd hit puberty. Any thought that Simon had somehow turned back the clock on her was thrown out the window when she looked at what had become of her breasts. Gone were her small, barely B cup breasts and in their place were breasts that she could only guess as being double D in size if she was lucky but she had a sinking suspicion that they were actually much bigger than that.

Slowly Ginny raised her hands and placed one on each breast, letting out an anguished cry when she realized that not only did her breasts no longer fit in her hands but that from what she could tell, they were completely, one hundred percent real. There was nothing fake about her new breasts.

"But how…He couldn't…Not unless…Sweet Merlin, Ginny, what have you done?" Ginny cried as realization of just who she'd let herself fall in with sunk in.

"Knock knock!" called a voice from outside the bedroom. "Anyone home? Fyre? You in here? It's Jennifer…well Jenny. Simon told you I'd be coming by…"

"Just a minute!" Ginny called back as she quickly wiped away her tears and searched for the clothes she had been wearing when she first walked into the club. Not able to find her undergarments anywhere, she quickly pulled her jeans on and did them up before throwing her blouse on. "Damn it," she cursed when she tried to do her blouse up only to realize that it didn't fit. Actually 'didn't fit' was a serious understatement in Ginny's opinion, considering she couldn't get the blouse buttoned up, hell she couldn't get the buttons anywhere near the buttonholes since the front seams where the buttons and buttonholes were didn't even cover her nipples.

Giving up on her blouse since it was quite obvious she'd never get it done up, she pulled it off and grabbed her sweater, crying out in frustration when she pulled it over her head and realized that it was now too short. It used to stop at her waist, but now…now it barely came below her breasts, giving her about an inch of leeway if that and exposing her abdomen. She knew it wouldn't take much for the sweater to be lifted up and her breasts exposed.

"Fyre? Is everything alright?" asked Jenny in concern when she entered the bedroom and found Ginny sitting on the side of the bed, her head in her hands. She had raced to the bedroom the minute she'd heard Ginny's cry. "Fyre, look at me," Jenny instructed as she knelt down in front of Ginny. "What's wrong?"

Ginny slowly raised her head to look at the other woman, taking in her appearance. She had shoulder length blonde hair and blue eyes and a slender build.

"My tops don't fit," Ginny said quietly.

"I see. Well come with me and we might be able to find something of mine that will fit," Jenny said standing up, giving Ginny a better look at her five foot seven frame. Grabbing the keys off Ginny's nightstand while Ginny threw her shoes on, she took Ginny by the hand and led her out of the apartment and down the hall, leading her into another apartment. Jenny led her into a bedroom and opened the closet. "Try this on," she said, handing Ginny a blouse.

Ginny took the offered blouse and turned around before pulling her sweater off over her head.

"How's that?" Jenny asked curiously after Ginny had put the blouse on.

Ginny shook her head, trying to hold back her tears.

"It can't be _that_ bad," Jenny said as she turned Ginny around. "Then again," she said when she got a good look at Ginny.

Ginny had managed to get the blouse done up but only just and the blouse looked ready to burst apart at the seams unless the buttons gave first.

"Wow. Okay…uh…" Jenny trailed off as she looked at Ginny. "That blouse is big on me and I'm a double D," she observed. "Okay, onto plan B then," she said as she rummaged through one of the drawers, pulling out an overly large Cambridge sweatshirt. "Put this on and we'll head out and get you something to wear. I have instructions from Simon to get you to the club early as he'll want to approve of anything we buy for you to wear to work and he'll probably pick your outfit for tonight."

Ginny took the sweatshirt from Jenny and quickly put it on, leaving the blouse on the bed and joining Jenny in the other room so they could go shopping.

**:-:-:-:-:-:**

**Thursday, September 4, 1997  
****London, England  
****The Hidden Pearl  
****6:30pm**

**:-:-:-:-:-:**

"Good evening Peterson," Jenny greeted the bouncer as she and Ginny stepped into the club.

"Good evening Miss Barnes, Miss Kensington," Peterson greeted in return. "Mr. Carrows is expecting you in his office, Miss Kensington."

"Thank you Peterson," Ginny said as she followed Jenny into the main room of the club, which was already filling with men.

"You okay to find your way?" asked Jenny. "I'd take you myself but I see one of my regulars over there and he doesn't like it when I keep him waiting."

"I'm okay…I think. His office is the door on the other side of the bar right?" replied Ginny.

"That's it. See you shortly," Jenny said as she ducked into the change room, leaving Ginny alone to make her way over to Simon's office.

"Good evening Miss Kensington," Simon greeted from his spot behind his desk.

"Good evening Mr. Carrows," replied Ginny as she closed the door behind her.

"Take it off Miss Kensington," Simon instructed. "I need to see what you're wearing."

Ginny did as she was told and removed her jacket, blouse and jeans, revealing a white bikini, the top of which only just fit her even though Jenny had gotten her the biggest size possible.

"That outfit is completely unacceptable, Fyre," Simon snapped in irritation.

"But Jenny said that…"

"I don't care _what_ Jenny said Fyre. She _knows_ better. She should have taken one look at the colour of the pearls around your neck and gotten you the appropriate attire," he snarled as he rose from his desk and stalked towards Ginny, causing her to back away from him until her back hit the wall and he was able to trap her by putting his hands on the wall on either side of her head. "Jenny is a black pearl, she knows the feeling of a man between her legs, whereas you, you are a blue pearl. One of the most precious and sought after pearls. You, who has never experienced the feeling of a man touching you, let alone pounding into the sweetness between your legs. What applies to Jenny does _not_ apply to you. The rules that govern Jenny's actions and attire are completely different from the ones that govern you. You are what the men want and I make sure I give it to them," he told her as he fought the urge to lay claim to Ginny right then and there. He knew her power was meant for another but that did not stop him wanting to ravage her and he knew his feelings were quite evident by the fact that Ginny had suddenly raised her eyes up so she was no longer looking down but straight at his chest.

Pushing off the wall, Simon stalked back over to his desk, pulling something out of the top drawer before walking back over to where Ginny still stood against the wall. "Completely," he said as he took a pair of scissors to the strap around Ginny's neck. "Totally," he said as he cut the strap between her breasts. "Intolerable," he said as he cut one of the straps on Ginny's hips. "And unacceptable," he finished as he cut the final strap on her other hip before pulling the destroyed bikini from Ginny's body. "This is the attire of a blue pearl," he said as he held up a piece of fabric.

"That?" asked Ginny in disbelief.

"This," Simon replied holding it out to Ginny. "The men need to see what they are bidding on after all. Now put it on."

Swallowing nervously, Ginny took what Simon was holding out to her and slipped it on.

"Let me have a look," Simon instructed holding his hand out to Ginny, indicating for her to take it. After leading her into the centre of the room he let go of her hand and circled around her, taking in her appearance.

Ginny could not believe what was happening. How did she end up here, standing in an office, her breasts, which had been altered to be much larger than she was accustomed to, completely exposed and in nothing more than a pair of three inch strappy sandals and a pearl blue thong, that barely covered anything, seeing as it was only about an inch wide at it's widest point and it only came up about maybe half an inch in the front.

"Tsk, tsk, what _am_ I going to do with you Fyre," Simon sighed as he stopped behind Ginny. "These straps here," he began as he took the straps on either side of Ginny's legs, "are supposed to be up here," he finished as he pulled them up and over Ginny's hips, pulling the thong nice and tight between her legs.

/-/Don't feel,/-/ Ginny instructed herself silently as she closed her eyes and swallowed down her roiling emotions. /-/Your name may be Fyre but you need to be as cold and hard as ice./-/

"_Much_ better," Simon purred as he gently brushed Ginny's hair back over her shoulders. "Yes?" he called when a knock sounded at the door.

"Excuse me, sir?"

"What is it, Watersly?" Simon demanded as he continued to play with Ginny's hair, the only part of her he was allowed to touch.

"He's here," the bartender replied gruffly.

"Excellent," replied Simon, dismissing the bartender and turning his attention back to Ginny. "It's time to introduce you to the men," he said, his demeanour calm as he suddenly grabbed a hold of Ginny's throat, causing her eyes to snap open in fear, his hold firm enough to get his point across but not enough to leave marks. "This is your one and only chance. If you want to survive, I suggest you _don't_ screw this up. I want to see you display this courage you Gryffindors are so famous for. Understood?"

Ginny nodded in understanding, she was having enough difficulty breathing as it was, and she didn't want to risk trying to speak.

"Good. I have one gentleman in particular in mind for you, so do as I say. If I do this right, I can get a lot of money for you, a portion of which goes to you, so it's in your best interest to see this goes well. The men in the other room are interested in your body, _not_ your mind, so either keep your answers short or don't answer at all. Tonight your job is simple. Stand there and look just like you do. Tomorrow you will start serving the men who are bidding on your goods. They can look but _not_ touch. They have to _earn_ that right and they earn it by having the winning bid when the bidding deadline passes," Simon explained as he released his hold on Ginny's throat. "Shall we introduce you then?" he asked as he held out his hand for Ginny to take.

/-/You can do this. You _have_ to do this. You're a survivor Fyre, you always have been. You're as cold and hard as ice. Others have used their bodies to survive, why should you be any different. Here _you_ have the power. Here y_ou're_ the one they want,/-/ Ginny thought to herself as she looked at Simon's hand before nodding and placing her hand in his outstretched one and allowing him to lead her from the room.

Simon led Ginny out of his office and towards the bar area, climbing up on the bar before helping Ginny up after him and leading her over to the centre of it. "Gentlemen! May I have your attention please," he called out, causing everyone present to fall silent as all eyes fell on Ginny. "I would like to introduce you all to our newest Pearl. Her name is Fyre and no your eyes are not deceiving you, nor are they playing tricks on you. She is in fact a _blue_ pearl, the rarest of all the pearls. She is as pure as the day she entered this world. Completely untouched by the hands of man...at least for the time being anyway," he smiled as laughter filtered through the room. "Who among you wants to claim the first kiss?" he asked, causing the gathered men to start yelling out responses.

"All right, all right gentlemen," Simon laughed as he called for quiet. "You know the rules. You have the next thirty days to place your bids with me. When the thirty days are up, the gentleman with the highest bid wins the right to claim Fyre's kiss. Fyre will be here every night so you can all get to know her and get a look at what she has to offer but gentlemen, remember to keep your hands _off_ the merchandise, they'll be up for auction soon enough. Watersly, will you be so kind as to help Fyre down."

"This way Fyre," the bartender said as he helped Ginny down from the bar and out from behind it.

Once Ginny was out on the floor, Simon turned his attention back to the men at large. "Gentlemen, the bidding is now open..."


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**:-:-:-:-:-:**

**Monday May 28****th****, 2001  
****Sunnydale, California  
****Construction Site  
****Within an hour before Sunrise**

**:-:-:-:-:-:**

"Dawn," Buffy called as she climbed up the last rung to the platform.

The Doc or whatever his name was was standing in front of her, but whirled around as she moved, as Dawn called her name. "This should be interesting," he commented. She didn't even stop, just pushed him off as she walked, ignoring his scream as he fell.

"Here," she smiled as she reached Dawn who was crying.

"It hurts," she whispered.

"I got it," Buffy countered softly. "Come here, you're gonna be okay…" she continued before leading Dawn across the platform towards the tower entrance. Dawn stopped and turned towards her. "Go!" Buffy ordered.

"Buffy, it's started," she argued and Buffy turned around, they could both see the light of the portal as it grew larger and Buffy flashed back to earlier

**:-:-: **_**Flashback**_** :-:-:**

"You sure you're not going to tire yourself out?" Giles asked as he walked towards her and she stopped her attack on the punching bag.

"I'm sure," she answered before resuming her attack, "I'm sure."

"We're still working on ideas," he continued and she stopped once more, "Time's short, but, uh, best leave it to the last moment. If we go in too early and she takes us out, no chance of getting her to miss her window."

"Then we wait," she answered before throwing one last punch that broke the bag off its chain; she stared at it before giving her arm a shake.

"I imagine you hate me right now," she sighed but didn't answer, listening as he took a few steps closer. "I love Dawn."

"I know."

"But I've sworn to protect this sorry world, and sometimes that means saying and doing…what other people can't. What they shouldn't have to."

She turned to face him then, "You try and hurt her, and you know I'll stop you."

"I know," he answered before she turned and walked over to the sofa slowly, sitting down before he followed.

"This is how many apocalypses for us now?"

"Oh, uh, well…" he sat, taking off his glasses. "Six, at least," he sat back slowly, "Feels like a hundred."

"I've always stopped them. Always won."

"Yes."

"I sacrificed Angel to save the world. I loved him so much. But I knew…what was right. I don't have that anymore. I don't understand. I don't know how to live in the world if these are the choices. If everything just gets stripped away. I don't see the point. I just wish that…" she paused tearfully, "I just wish my mom was here." Getting up she walked a few paces away before turning to him, "The spirit guide told me…that death was my gift. Guess that means a Slayer really is just a killer after all."

"I think you're wrong about that."

"It doesn't matter. If Dawn dies, I'm done with it. I'm quitting."

**:-:-: **_**End Flashback**_** :-:-:**

Lightning shot out of the portal, and as Buffy glanced below she could see the ground shake as the tower shifted slightly.

"Xander!" she heard Anya's yell, glancing towards it to see Anya push him aside before a pile of bricks fell on her.

"Anya!" he yelled as he ran towards her.

Looking back over at Dawn, Buffy turned towards her as her sister just stared at the portal. "I'm sorry," Dawn cried.

"It doesn't matter," Buffy argued before Dawn tried to run past her, reaching out she grabbed her. "What are you doing?"

"I have to jump. The energy…" Dawn explained in a rush.

"It'll kill you," Buffy argued.

"I know," Dawn answered softly. "Buffy, I know about the ritual. I have to stop it."

"No," Buffy argued before the tower shook and they both stumbled this time.

"I have to. Look at what's happening!" Dawn shot back as more lightening crackled, even larger than before. Buffy looked up in time to see a huge dragon fly out of the portal and around the tower as they watched. "Buffy, you have to let me go. Blood starts it, and until the blood stops flowing, it'll never stop," she explained softly as Buffy just stared at her, her own anguish visible. "You know you have to let me," Dawn pleaded as tears slipped down her cheeks. "It has to have the blood."

Buffy sucked in a quick breath as her mind flashed back to Spike earlier '_Cause it's always got to be blood_'. Her mind went back further, to that day in the hospital when she realized it was Summers' blood. '_She's me. The monks made her out of me_'.

Frowning she turned around slowly and looked out across the platform, at the portal and the sky beyond as holes seemed to be opening in the sky, and the sun began to rise.

Flashes passed through her mind, memories of her first year in Sunnydale, Sid and fights, numerous different moments at school with the others. Willow and Xander pretending to date when she and Owen showed up at the Bronze. Her first kiss with Angel and other kisses, when the Master held her then bit her, more kisses with Angel…When she threw her cross down and quit, even more flashes of moments at school with the others, her Dad picking her up that day after they stopped Billy's nightmares. After she killed the Master and they were all staring at his bones before leaving to go to the party…coming back from vacation, when she arrived at school and saw Giles for the first time, destroying the Master's bones and falling apart in Angel's arms, back in school and Willow and Xander accepted her even after all the crap she pulled. Tom at the school inviting her to the party, the demon there in the basement as she tried to get it to come after her instead of the others. Confronting Jenny about Angel, watching the others when they returned to school after she killed Angel then leaving Sunnydale. Coming back and seeing Willow, Oz, Xander and Cordelia as they lay on the ground after the fight with that vampire, staring up at her and her simple 'Hey guys'. That day she and Willow sat at the Espresso Pump and called each other names after making up after her return. Angel back and collapsing, burying his face in her stomach after he saved her from Pete. Fighting Angelus from the point in the garden until he became Angel once more and she killed him…more kisses they had exchanged…Her and Willow outside school one day by the tree before Willow tackled her. Walking down Main Street with Angel in the snow, dozens of memories from senior year, making Angel drink, Prom when she got her award…having a picnic with Riley, Willow, Tara, and Xander on campus, memories of Riley and other events from her freshman year…

**:-:-: **_**Flashback**_** :-:-:**

"You can tell me anything. I love you. You're my best friend," she told Willow, still on the cables as they scaled down the tunnel to get into the Initiative's compound.

They hugged as Willow spoke, "Me, too. I love you too… Oh, falling now!"

"Let's promise to never not talk again," Buffy continued once they hit the ground, not breaking apart from their hug, it wasn't that big a thing really…

"I promise, I promise," Willow agreed before Xander appeared next to them and they wrapped their arms around him.

"Xander!"

"Oh, wonderful Xander!" Willow continued.

"You know we love you, right?"

"We totally do."

"Oh God, we're gonna die, aren't we?" Xander asked as he looked between them.

"No, we just missed you," Willow countered.

Looking up he called to their last member, "Giles, hurry up! You definitely wanna get down here for this!"

**:-:-: **_**End Flashback**_** :-:-:**

She saw the First Slayer in her dream just a short time before, "Death is your gift," she heard the First Slayer saying. "Death is your gift…"

She took another breath, before looking back at Dawn who stared at her with wide-eyes, already knowing what she was planning…

"Buffy…no!"

"Dawnie, I have to."

"No!"

"Listen to me. Please, there's not a lot of time, listen," Buffy argued softly as she held Dawn by her upper arms, "I love you. I will _always _love you. But this is the work that I have to do. Tell Giles… tell Giles I figured it out. And…and I'm okay. And give my love to my friends. You have to take care of them now. You have to take care of each other. You have to be strong. Dawn, the hardest thing in this world…is to live in it. Be brave. Live. For me," she stroked the side of Dawn's face, and then kissed her on the cheek as Dawn continued to cry and in her mind she saw each member of her 'family': her mom, Dawn, Willow, Tara, Oz, Xander, Angel and Riley...

Turning, she started to run, leaving Dawn behind but knowing the others would take care of her. For a moment she was thankful for those diving lessons as she jumped off the end in a perfect swan dive and into the portal. She felt it pull around her, keeping her there as the lightning and power surged around her body, she didn't feel the pain though as her mind continued it's show of her life…her life truly flashing before her eyes. She saw the time with her mom in the hospital after the surgery. Kissing Riley, then moments with Angel. Xander in the body suit that day, Joyce and Dawn together, Willow and Tara, Xander…everyone that day in the hospital together when her mom was having surgery…her family, only Angel missing…Then she was back in the portal and everything stopped, the slight pain and the memories, and she was free.

"Buffy?" a distant voice called.

Groaning Buffy rolled onto her side and slowly climbed to her feet, her muscles twitching with phantom pains her mind told her she should be feeling.

"Buffy?"

"Mom?" Buffy called in return, her heart recognizing her mother's voice immediately, even though her mind told her it was impossible.

"Buffy?"

It was hard to tell where the voice was coming from, it seemed to be coming from everywhere and nowhere at once and every way Buffy turned she found the same emptiness around her.

"Buffy."

Feeling something touch her shoulder Buffy spun around, ready to deal with whatever was standing behind her. "Mom?" she asked in disbelief as she took in the appearance of the woman now standing before her.

"Hello Buffy," Joyce Summers greeted.

"This isn't happening. This isn't real," Buffy said shaking her head. "You...you _died_..."

"As have you Buffy," Joyce countered evenly.

"Excuse me..." Buffy began only to have her words trail off as images flashed before her eyes. "Dawn...I jumped to save Dawn. Death is my gift. So, does that mean...is this...am I...is this Heaven?"

"No, Buffy, not yet," Joyce said.

"I don't understand. If death was my gift then why am I not in Heaven. I'm not going to...to hell, am I?" asked Buffy worriedly.

"No Buffy, you're not going to hell. Heaven is where you'll end up, if that is your choice," Joyce told her.

"My choice?"

"Yes Buffy. The Powers..."

"Why am I _not_ surprised to find out that the Powers That Be are somehow involved in this," sighed Buffy.

"Buffy, the choice is yours either way," Joyce said. "You can choose right now to continue onto heaven..."

"Good. Heaven it is," Buffy interrupted before turning and walking away from her mother.

"But you are condemning a slayer to death," Joyce called after her retreating daughter, causing Buffy to stop in her tracks and turn back to face her mother.

"Excuse me?"

"Buffy, you have every right to continue on to Heaven, I'm not trying to stop you but you need to know that the Powers sent me to plead with you to help them. If you don't you are condemning a fellow slayer to the darkness and almost certain death. Buffy, please, just hear them out before you make a decision," Joyce pleaded.

"I'm listening," Buffy said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Through Willow and Giles you've learned about witchcraft but their magic is external to them. Yes, they can cast spells and do charms but they have to rely on the graciousness of Gods and Goddesses to grant them the ability to perform these spells and charms. What you don't know is that there is a race of people among us who are born with a natural ability to perform magic. The world these natural born witches and wizards live in is separate from our own, much like the world of the slayer is separate from the rest of the world," Joyce explained. The Wizarding World, as it is known, has not always been separate from our own. There was a time when the non-magical, or Muggle as they call it, world, lived side by side with the witches and wizards."

"What happened? What caused the separation?"

"Fear," Joyce said. "The Muggles began to fear their magical friends and began to hunt them down."

"The Salem Witch Trials," Buffy commented.

"Those and others like them. Eventually the witches and wizards withdrew from our world and created their own communities and governments separate from our own."

"This is all _really_ fascinating Mom but what does it have to do with the slayer? And me in particular?" questioned Buffy.

"Everything," Joyce said. "Buffy, you know the lore of the slayer, one girl in all the world. Well that world once included the Wizarding World."

"I don't understand. You just said that this Wizarding World is separate from our own," observed Buffy.

"They are now, but when we lived side by side, the slayer could be either Muggle or witch," explained Joyce.

"But not now," commented Buffy.

"Not exactly," Joyce replied cryptically.

"Not exactly? Mom this is making the kind of sense that's...not."

"The attack on the witches and wizards was started by the Watcher's Council. They had a string of slayers that were all natural born witches and they grew fearful of them."

"What were they afraid of?" asked Buffy curiously.

"They were afraid the witch-born slayers would turn on them, use their magic against them."

"I take it this fear got the best of them," Buffy observed. She gathered the Watcher's Council hadn't changed much over the centuries using her own dealings with them as a reference.

"Yes, it did," admitted Joyce. "One of them brokered a deal with what you know to be the law firm of Wolfram and Hart. In exchange for keeping the slayer out of their business, the Watcher's Council received a spell that would hide any and all witch-born slayers from the Watcher's Council. If, when the current slayer died, a witch-born slayer was called, she along with a Muggle girl would be activated, but only the Muggle girl would be identified to the Watcher's Council."

"And the witch would be left to her own defences, not having the slightest idea of what was going on or what was happening to her?" demanded Buffy angrily.

"Yes, and unfortunately for the witch, it's not just the gaining of her slayer strenth she has to deal with," Joyce admitted.

"Meaning what?" demanded Buffy.

"The Watcher's Council had nothing to fear from these girls Buffy. The minute they receive their slayer abilities..."

"Mom what? It's not like they'd lose their ability to do magic or anything...Mom?"

"Once activated as a slayer, a witch's magic changes. She can no longer do the magic she's been doing everyday of her life. Once a slayer, her magic becomes more of a weapon for her than anything else. She can use it to help her or protect her in battle," Joyce explained.

"So she gets the abilities of a slayer while losing a very large part of who she is," commented Buffy.

"Yes," agreed Joyce.

"And the Watcher's Council leaves her to her own devices? Are they _trying_ to drive the poor girl _insane_?" demanded Buffy angrily.

"They don't care Buffy, because they don't know that a witch has been called, and even if they did, they wouldn't do anything to help her."

"So what happens to them?" asked Buffy in concern.

"A few have turned to the darkness, some have been hospitalized for the rest of their lives, while most...most of these girls end up taking their own lives."

"Why would they do that? Surely their families..."

"The ones committed to the hospital are done so by their families. The rest end up being turned out; rejected by their families and by society as a whole. Their magic is a huge part of who they are. For a witch or wizard to suddenly lose the ability to perform even the simplest of spells for no apparent reason...it's devastating and with no one there to tell them what's happening to them, to train them as slayers...death is the only answer for them."

So then how do I fit into the picture?" asked Buffy.

"The wizarding world is self destructing, Buffy. The forces of evil have beaten down the forces of good and it won't be long before they turn their attention to the Muggle world, the world in which your sister and friends live," Joyce said. "The war has been going on for years and good has always triumphed over evil, at least that is until three years ago, when the tides changed and evil started winning one battle after another. The forces of good have almost been completely destroyed. Once they are, there is nothing to hold the evil at bay and they will strike out at the rest of the world."

"What changed?" asked Buffy. "What was it that gave evil the power to win?"

"A slayer," Joyce said simply.

"A slayer? But both Kendra and Faith have been...what was the term you used?"

"Muggle," Joyce supplied.

"Yes, Muggle. Kendra and Faith have both been Muggle so how could they have a slayer?"

"Remember what I said Buffy. Witch slayers are never identified by the Council. One was called the same time as Kendra. She was fourteen at the time the Master killed you," Joyce said as the whiteness that had surrounded them all this time started shifting and taking on colours and shapes.

"Where are we?" asked Buffy as the room finished taking shape around them.

"We're at Hogwarts. It's a wizarding school," replied Joyce.

"What are we..." Buffy began before being interrupted by a loud crack and smoke filling the room.

"Miss Weasley! What in Merlin's name are you doing?" cried an angry female voice through the smoke.

Buffy and Joyce watched as a woman in a green robe, who appeared to be in her mid-sixties, strode across the room towards a redheaded girl.

"I'm sorry, Professor McGonagall. I didn't mean to do it. I was doing the transfiguration _exactly_ like you said but something went wrong," replied the redhead.

"Something indeed, Miss Weasley. You are dismissed from this exam. Collect you belongings and go," the woman ordered.

"But Professor..."

"Out Miss Weasley!"

"Yes Professor," the redhead replied quietly as she gathered her bag and left the room.

"That's her, isn't it," noted Buffy as the room faded from view.

"Yes, it is," replied Joyce. "This was about a month after she was activated."

"What happened with the exam?"

"She failed it and every other one that required the use of her magic in some way. She only just managed to pass her classes thanks to her term marks and the fact that it happened late in the school year. The next year she wasn't so lucky," Joyce said, as scenes started playing out around them.

Buffy stood and watched each scene as they unfolded around her. She watched the young redhead get into fights, serve numerous detentions and blow things up around her every time she picked up her wand. The hardest thing for Buffy was watching the girl fall into an ever-deepening isolation and cry herself to sleep night after night, only to be tormented as she slept by what Buffy could only believe to be nightmares. "What about her family? Where were they in all of this?"

"Of her six older brothers, only one was at school with her and he was too busy helping his friend prepare to fight the forces of evil, he barely gave his baby sister a second thought. As for her other brothers, one was in Egypt, one in Romania, one worked for their government and the twins were running a store in London, all of them too busy to pay her much mind," explained Joyce.

"And her parents?"

"Indifferent."

"But..." Buffy began as her surroundings changed once more. She now found herself in a rather large, yet rundown house. She could hear voices coming from the other side of the door, which opened suddenly as the redhead made her way out of the room and down the hall. Buffy soon found herself following the girl.

"Sure, of course I'll go get Mum and Dad. It's not like I've got anything _better_ to do. It's not like it's my _birthday_ or anything," the redhead grumbled as she made her way upstairs, Buffy following behind her.

Buffy watched as the girl lifted her hand to knock on a door only to pause, her hand dropping down and quietly pushing the door open slightly, allowing Buffy to hear the voices on the other side more clearly.

"I'm tired Arthur. I can't do this anymore. I can't go on pretending to _care_ about her. She's a _joke_, a laughing stock, not to mention a _disgrace_. She failed every _one_ of her O.W.L.s. _No_ one has _ever_ failed _all_ of their O.W.L.s before Arthur, not until _our_ daughter."

"I know Molly, but it's too late to do anything about it now. We're stuck with her. If only Harry hadn`t pulled her from the Chamber, then we wouldn't have to deal with everything."

"If only I'd listened to you all those years ago and gotten rid of her while I still could, then we wouldn't _be_ in this position. You were right Arthur. She was a mistake…"

Buffy watched the young redhead turn away from the door, tears in her eyes, and make her way silently down the hall and into another room where she quickly changed her clothes and grabbed what she could carry before making her way out of the house as it faded from view around Buffy.

"What happened to her?" asked Buffy quietly.

"She ended up on the streets for a few weeks before they caught her in their trap," Joyce said.

"They?"

"The Death Eaters."

"They would be the forces of evil then," observed Buffy.

"Part of them yes. Their leader Lord Voldemort wanted to use her against his enemies. When they set the trap for her, they had no idea she was a slayer until much later. At the time they knew she was the daughter of one of the more prominent families in the forces of good and were going to use her as bait. It was long believed she was the object of affection and future wife of the champion of the forces of good. Lord Voldemort believed that by taking the girl, he would be striking at the heart of his enemies," Joyce explained.

"Did he?" asked Buffy.

"He did, but not in the way he had intended. When they first caught her in their trap, she looked much the same as you just saw her, but they changed that."

"Changed it? Changed it how?"

"This is how she looked when she first fell into their trap," Joyce said as Ginny appeared before Buffy, looking as she did on the morning of September First. Her wavy red hair ending just below her shoulders, wearing a sweater over her blouse and a pair of jeans.

"This is how she looked a few days later," she said as the image of Ginny morphed in front of Buffy so that her now straight and waist length hair was multicoloured to look like a flame. Sections of her hair came down in front of her shoulders and covered what appeared to be very ample and bare breasts. Buffy could see a small pale blue thong and a string of pearls, the same colour as the thong, around the girl's neck. Despite the physical changes, Buffy could tell it was still the same girl, her eyes held a sense of innocence about them despite everything she'd been through.

"This is how she looks now," Joyce said as the image of Ginny morphed once more. The girl now standing before Buffy had her flame red hair pulled back in a tight French braid, and she was wearing a leather halter top that was so tight Buffy was afraid the girl's still ample breasts would bust out at any given moment. She was also wearing tight leather pants and leather boots with a three-inch heel at least. The sense of innocence that Buffy had noticed in the girl's eyes earlier was gone, replaced by a hardness Buffy couldn't explain.

"What do the necklaces signify?" asked Buffy curiously, having noticed they went from a single strand to five when the image had changed the last time.

"It's how they discovered she was a slayer," Joyce said.

"How'd they do that?"

"Each one of the strands of pearls signifies the loss of another piece of her innocence. She received the first strand when she first agreed to work for them, before they changed her appearance. The second she received from the Death Eater who had the winning bid for her first kiss, the third from the Death Eater who bid the highest for the right to be the first to touch her. The fourth she received from the Death Eater with the highest bid for the right to give her oral sex and the fifth…the fifth and final necklace she received from the Death Eater who won the right to be the first to have sex with her," Joyce explained.

"Wait…they _sold_ her off piece by piece?" asked Buffy in shocked outrage.

"Yes and it was with this last necklace that her being a slayer came to light."

"How?"

"The fear the Watcher's Council had for the witch-born slayers was not completely as unfounded as you may think Buffy," Joyce said. "They had good reason to be afraid. Something happens when a witch is called, if she's still a virgin when she's called, then the first wizard that claims her virginity is able to control her through a magical bond that is formed. His magic, in a way, helps stabilize and focus hers, a huge benefit to the slayer but also a great hindrance. If he gives her a direct order, she is incapable of refusing him. The Death Eater learned of what she was after claiming her the first time when he ordered her to do something and she did it without question. He went to Lord Voldemort with the information and together they turned her to their side completely. Instead of fighting against the forces of evil, she was fighting with them, and the forces of good didn't stand a chance."

"And her family?"

"The first to die at her hands," Joyce said, a sadness entering her voice.

"Like Angel," Buffy said as she recalled when Angel had told her of how he had killed his family.

"Fyre lost everything that day she overheard her parents talking," Joyce said.

"Fyre?" asked Buffy in confusion.

"Her name," Joyce replied. "She used to be known as Ginny Weasley but after hearing her parents talking on her sixteenth birthday, she's gone by the name of Fyre Kensington. It wasn't just the Death Eaters that wanted her unrecognizable to her family and friends Buffy."

"How do I fit into all this?"

"The events I spoke of were never supposed to happen. The slayer is supposed to remain neutral in the wars of man and wizard. The Powers That Be want to send you back, Buffy."

"Back?"

"Four years to be exact. They know they can't interfere with when Fyre fell into the Death Eater trap but they hope to stop the power of the slayer falling into the hands of the forces of evil. That's where you come in Buffy."

"How?"

"They want you to explain to her what's happening. Explain to her about being the slayer. Train her," explained Joyce.

"They want me to be her watcher?" asked Buffy in disbelief?

"Essentially, yes. They will send you back with a new identity and new appearance since Buffy Summers is alive and well and a junior at Sunnydale High. Buffy, I know this is a lot to ask of you…"

"No kidding," commented Buffy quietly.

"But she has no one, Buffy. You had your family and friends to help and support you. She's lost all that and has no idea why or what's happening to her. And if events are left unchanged, the Powers figure it will be another year or two at most before Lord Voldemort turns his attention to the Muggle world completely and he will make dealing with Glory feel like a walk in the park in comparision to what he has planned. Do you _really_ want to leave your friends to that fate? Leave _Dawn_ to that fate?

**:-:-:-:-:-:**

**Saturday, February 15, 1998  
****London, England  
****10:45am**

**:-:-:-:-:-:**

It had been six months since Ginny first started working at The Hidden Pearl and six months since she'd taken up running. She had started running the morning after her first night at The Hidden Pearl. It was how she had kept her sanity these past six months. Running helped clear her mind after being in the club. It helped her deal with everything, helped her distance herself from things she'd had to do in order to survive. Last night had been the worst yet, although Ginny knew there was one night still ahead of her that would be worse but she tried not to think about that as much as possible.

Last night Ginny had received her fourth strand of pearls. It had been Simon's perverse idea of a Valentine's Day gift to her to have the auction end the night before last and allow the winner the right to claim his prize last night, on Valentines' Day. The only saving grace as far as Ginny was concerned was that it had been Francois, the same man who had given her the other two strands of pearls. He had told her the night he claimed her first kiss that he had every intention of claiming all of her prizes and he had lived up to his promise so far. She was just glad that Francois was an extremely private man. She had heard stories from some of the other girls about how some of the men liked to 'put on a show' as they called it by having sex with them in front of others.

Francois had been nothing but kind and gentle in all his dealings with Ginny and he had fast become her favourite client. She hoped he was right and he would be the one to give her her fifth and final necklace. He had promised to make it special for her, a night for her to remember.

Ginny was so caught up in her thoughts that she never saw the other woman until it was too late and they both went crashing to the ground.

"Bloody hell," the other woman groaned before looking over at Ginny, "Are you alright? I'm so sorry about that... err this... uhh well the fact we're down here," she began to babble.

"This can't be happening," Ginny groaned as she covered her eyes, blocking out the sun. "I just hope I don't have any bruises or anything," she mumbled.

"Oh I hope not," she agreed quickly as she climbed to her feet and held a hand out to Ginny, "I don't think we went down that hard, more sore muscles but no multi-coloured patchwork quilt..."

"I hope you're right," Ginny sighed as she uncovered her eyes and reached up and took woman's hand, using her as leverage to get back to her feet. "I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to run into you. I didn't even see you there. I guess I was off in my head somewhere, which tends to happen when I start running and I'm babbling. I haven't done that in a _really_ long time and I'm just going to shut up now."

Buffy chuckled, "Don't worry, I'm just as much to blame as you are," she smiled, brushing a bit of dirt off her butt, thank God she decided to wear jeans and a black sweater for this little trip back to the past and her own future...although where did that duster go...she needed to tell whoever to give a person enough time to get dressed for crying out loud...Spotting it she bent down to grab it while turning her attention back fully to the girl she knew to have once been known as Ginny, now Fyre. "Summer Andrews," she offered her hand once more, this time in greeting as she stood, hiding a mental smile over the fact she was actually _taller_ than the person she was talking to for once in her life, okay so, technically she was only an inch taller than Ginny's five-six frame...still she was _tall_, she was going to relish it.

"Fyre Kensington," Ginny said shaking the other woman's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Fyre," Buffy smiled, "Even if it did mean we had to run into each other quite literally."

"Well, like I said, I was off in my head somewhere and never saw you until it was too late," commented Ginny sheepishly.

Buffy waved her hand before shrugging, "And like I was saying, it was neither here nor there who was responsible for our little visit with the pavement." Slipping her duster on, very similar to the one Angel used to wear and mostly the reason behind its existence in her life, Buffy glanced around the park, "Would you like something hot to drink, Fyre? It's the least I could do after our trip to the pavement together."

"I would love some hot chocolate actually," Ginny said. "Come on, my favourite little café is just down the road."

"As long as they have coffee then it might become my favorite too," Buffy smiled as she linked arms with Ginny. "Are you from London or just in town on holiday?"

"Coffee I don't know about but they do have a wide selection of teas. And I live in Leicester Square, which isn't far from St. James's Park here," Ginny said as they began walking.

"Well tea I could handle too," Buffy smiled, "My mum was a coffee drinker, my dad," she paused with a smile as her mind flashed to Giles instead of Hank, "despised the stuff, it was tea and that was final. And to be quite honest, I have no bloody clue where those places you just mentioned are, this is my first time in London."

"Well, we're _in_ St. James's Park and Leicester Square is about a twenty minute run that way," Ginny said pointing off into the distance.

"Thanks," Buffy chuckled, "Do not be surprised, Miss. Kensington, if I ask you to tell me how to get to half the places I found that are looking for workers and a place to stay. After we have a lovely time at your cafe of course."

"I'll help you as best I can. I've only been in London proper for the past seven months so I'm still getting to learn my way around," Ginny said.

Another chuckle, "We make a fine pair, don't we? "

"That we do," Ginny laughed as she stopped in front of a door, reaching out and opening it for Buffy to walk through ahead of her. "Shall we? My treat for running into you."

"And here I was going to insist it be my treat for that very reason," Buffy smiled, "I'll make you a deal, you buy this time, and we have to get together again so I can be the one to pay. "

"If you insist, but it'll have to be a morning thing cause I sleep in the afternoons," Ginny said as they climbed into a booth.

"Deal," Buffy smiled before a waitress made her way over to ask for their order. Indeed there was no coffee, so Buffy settled for tea and decided to take a risk and try one of those scones that Giles spoke of so often, which she knew she should like anyway thanks to her newfound knowledge of everything she should know had she grown up in Ireland, not to mention a complete working knowledge of everything Giles and Wesley knew from their years of Watcher training...Ginny meanwhile asked for an Irish Cream Hot Chocolate and a butter croissant before their waitress wandered off and Buffy excused herself to go to the restroom.

After she made use of the facilities, Buffy made her way up to wash her hands and get her first look at her new self. Looking in the mirror she finally had a chance to see the changes that had been made in…well perhaps limbo was a good name for it. She was five-seven now, tall and thin, willowy almost, well except for the 'D' boobs she gained in the hope she'd be able to get past the requirements to work at the Hidden Pearl...Her hair, no longer blond was red, kind of like a burnt something or other maybe. It wasn't as red as Willow's, not as dark as Ginny's hair since becoming Fyre, or even as the…well more of a copperish-colour that Ginny had been born with. After a moment it hit her what it reminded her of, blood…not a pool of blood that was dark nearly black, more like when there was just a smear of blood, fresh blood, on something…Her eyes were different as well, they were grey currently but she knew they could go as dark as the shade of blue the sky was just before the first stars appeared, her mother had said they were that colour when they hugged for the last time…Between her red hair that was cut in a bob, ending at her chin, and her grey-blue eyes, her skin really seemed to stand out as she reached up to touch her cheek, gone was her tan instead her skin was…perhaps alabaster was the word Giles or Willow would have used…yes that was it.

Shaking away thoughts of the others for now, she reached down and grabbed the bag that had come with her, riffling through it to see just what had made the trip as well, basic make-up collection, nice…grabbing the wallet she opened it and found the ID and licence for Summer Andrews…she paused as she imagined the looks of fear on the others' faces if they knew she was licensed to drive in England, on the other side of the road and everything. There were even a few credit cards…very nice; at least she wasn't going to be completely helpless in this new life…A few pictures were also in the wallet, part of her new life no doubt, she paused to smile when she found one of her, her mom, and Giles together, but with her new appearance…she simply wasn't going to ask how the Powers did whatever they did. Just flipping through the pictures she saw a picture of her and Dawn, and one of her, Xander and Willow from their first year together, but like the others instead of her real appearance, it was her new appearance, unbelievably weird to see.

Flipping her wallet back closed, she returned it to her bag, quickly glancing at the address book and not surprised to find the notes that identified more than one entry as a good place to buy…supplies. And in the back was a list of demon bars…shaking her head she dropped it back into her bag before zipping it closed, a quick run of her fingers through her hair, and tucking it behind her ears, a smile as she focused on her hand when she saw the glint of light on the silver on her hand, the ring Angel had given her…Turning she made her way back out into the café, heading towards where Ginny sat.

"Hello again," she smiled as she slid into the booth.

"Hey," Ginny greeted just as the waitress returned with their drinks and food.

"So," Buffy began as she doctored her tea, "Out of all the world you picked London, you said you have not had much time to learn or see much of the area since moving here, have you had a chance to see any of those wonderful touristy things?"

"Mostly just St. Margaret's Church," Ginny said but seeing the look of confusion on Buffy's face she decided to elaborate more. "It's in Westminster, which isn't too far from here. It's between Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. "That's actually where I was coming from when we ran into each other."

"Cool," Buffy smiled, "Perhaps one day we can see a few together, I doubt it would be all that fun to go sightseeing by yourself…I have always wanted to see the crown jewels in the Tower of London."

"The Tower's not far from the church actually," Ginny commented. "I haven't really seen much. I spend most of my time either at work, running or sleeping."

"Then it sounds to me like you'll be needing a sightseeing trip one of these days. You can not just work and sleep, you need a break every now and again."

"That's why I run," Ginny said. "My job takes up a _lot_ of my time.

"I can relate, my last job pretty much dominated me life, only good thing was that I got to work off a lot of energy and frustration while working."

"Well, that's not a luxury I have unfortunately," Ginny said bitterly. "Another reason why I run."

Buffy nodded, "Well running is a good means of escape."

"It also helps keep me in shape. I kinda need my figure to stay as is for my job."

"Sounds like my last job," Buffy nodded before glancing up at the clock, "I should probably be letting you go get some sleep..."

"I really should get some sleep. If I show up looking just the slightest bit tired, Simon will have my head, in more ways than one," Ginny said her last few words barely above a whisper.

Buffy frowned before catching herself and nodded, "Well, how about I give you my cell phone number and you can give me a call when you get a chance?"

"Sounds good. I can't promise how soon it will be though," Ginny replied.

"Not a problem," Buffy shrugged it off, "after all, I have to find a job and a place still, I might be busy with that for a while," she found a pen in her bag as well as the cell phone she was thankful to find, quickly locating the number she wrote it down before handing the napkin to Ginny. "Whenever you need a break or someone to talk to or whatever. Do not forget, I owe you a hot chocolate."

"Deal," Ginny said taking the napkin from Buffy. "I'll see you around Summer," she continued as she stood up.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2**

**:-:-:-:-:-:**

**Saturday, February 15, 1998**

**London, England**

**The Hidden Pearl**

**8:45pm**

**:-:-:-:-:-:**

After leaving Buffy in the coffee shop, Ginny made her way home where she did exactly what she had told Buffy she normally did, she fell into bed. She woke a number of hours later and started preparing herself both physically and mentally for another night of work at the Hidden Pearl. She showered and washed her hair, blowing it dry before pulling on her attire for the night, a pale blue satin thong, as per usual along with her three inch satin strap heels which she fastened around her ankles. Grabbing her trench coat she threw it on overtop and tied the belt around her waist before making her way out of her apartment and made the short walk down the street before turning into a building.

Ginny greeted Peterson the bouncer who always worked the door and Watersly the bartender as she made her way back into the change room, greeting many of the other girls on her way by. Once in the change room she made her way to her locker and hung up her coat and pulled out her favourite oil, well actually it was Francois' favourite oil and he continued to bring her new bottles of it every week and since it saved her from having to actually go out and buy body oil every week, seeing as she went through pretty much a bottle a week having to reapply it several times a night, she always accepted them gratefully.

She'd been working the floor for almost three hours now and she found it odd that Simon had not been by to see her. He always made a point of checking on her, usually before she made her way out onto the floor. He would always come into the change room and help her with the oil to reach the places she couldn't reach herself, although she knew he wasn't doing it out of the kindness of his heart. He was taking advantage of the fact that since that 'right' had been sold, he was free to touch her in almost any way he wanted, provided his hands didn't wander down between her legs, no matter how much he wanted to. Although given the events of last night, there was nothing to stop him from doing just that anymore. That 'privilege' was now on the menu of things available to the men of the club provided they could pay her price, which was the highest of all the girls, well out of the price range of the vast majority of the club members. The only ones who didn't have to pay were Simon and Francois, but that didn't stop Francois from paying Ginny in other ways. The bottles of oil were one way in which he paid her but he also tended to gift her with other things like designer clothes, books, and jewellery, anything she could ever want he provided her with.

She had just returned to the bar when she felt a hand on her shoulder, causing her to turn around and see who was behind her. "Simon?"

"Good evening Fyre, you look lovely," he greeted. "I'm sorry I wasn't around to help you get ready." A glance up and down her body before he turned to glance at the person behind him, "We have a new girl, Fyre, a black pearl but I figured she could follow you for a night or two, learn from the best after all. Fyre, meet Summer Andrews."

"Hello," Fyre said, trying to keep what she was feeling out of her voice.

"Nice to meet you, Fyre," Buffy smiled softly.

"Good, well, I'll leave her in your capable hands," he nodded before making his way off towards another part of the building.

"Leave Summer," Ginny hissed quietly so as not to draw attention.

"Uh...why?" Buffy looked around as if confused.

Looking around quickly, Ginny grabbed Buffy by the arm and pulled her into the change room. "Collect your things and get out of here Summer. Leave and _never_ come back. Forget about this place and forget about me. You do _not_ want to work here."

"It's a bit late for that, Fyre," Buffy countered quietly, "I knew what I was getting myself into when I signed the paperwork, Sweetheart."

"You think you know what you're doing but you have _no_ idea the danger you've put yourself in," Ginny argued. "Summer, you could work anywhere you want, you don't have to work here."

"That would be where you're wrong, Fyre, I barely made it through secondary, and certainly nothing beyond that. Nobody else would hire me, so you do what you have to. And this is what I have to do."

"And so you picked _this_ club to waitress in?"

"Fyre, we both know that you are definitely not what others consider a waitress. Sweetheart, do not worry, like I said, I knew what I was getting into when I signed the paperwork. Perhaps one day I might regret the choice, but it's the only one I have right now. No one else would take me."

"Fyre? You in here?" Jenny said sticking her head through the door.

"I'm here Jenny," Ginny replied walking over to the door.

"Simon's looking for you. Francois just showed up and is asking for you. You better get your butt out here ASAP," Jenny told her.

"Thanks Jenny. I'll be right out. Tell Simon I'm freshening up for Francois," Ginny instructed.

"No problem," Jenny replied, glancing between Ginny and Buffy before turning and making her way back out into the club.

Ginny turned and made her way from the door and back over to her locker and pulled out the bottle of oil from earlier, reapplying it, quite liberally around her breasts this time before putting the bottle back and turning around to face Buffy. "If you're determined to do this we better get going," she said as she started for the door, not once looking back to see if Buffy was following her as she made her way out into the club and over to where Francois' private table was.

"Good evening Francois," Ginny greeted seductively as she sat down on the seat next to him, practically draping herself on his side as she trailed a hand up his torso.

"Good evening Fyre," Francois replied as his hand went to the back of Ginny's head and he pulled her into a kiss before letting his hand trail down from her head to start kneading the breast that was resting up against his arm.

Buffy watched as Francois deepened the kiss and started to knead Ginny's breast harder until he pinched the nipple hard enough for Ginny to break the kiss and cry out quietly in pain.

"You were late," Francois chided.

"I'm sorry," replied Ginny, her voice on the verge of tears.

"Who's this?" Francois demanded as he turned his gaze from Ginny to Buffy.

"Her name's Summer," Ginny said quietly, her voice coming from the vicinity of Francois' shoulder. "She's the newest Pearl. A black pearl. Simon asked me to let her shadow me for a few days so she can get to learn the ropes around here."

"Hello," Buffy spoke quietly before falling silent.

Francois looked Buffy over from head to foot and took in the body underneath her black string bikini. "She might be suitable. Fyre, why don't you give us a little time and let us get better acquainted with each other."

"Of course, Francois," Ginny said as she rose from the seat and made her way from the area, leaving Buffy alone with Francois.

Buffy watched the man for a moment; he was about five-ten with sable hair and brown eyes, well built, certainly for his age...she guessed around oh his forties or fifties. Taking a deep breath she moved forward "Is there anything I can get for you, Sir? "

"Come here," Francois said, holding his hand out towards Buffy. "Sit with me."

Taking his hand, she sunk down next to him where Ginny had been before looking up at him, summoning every ounce of her shy high school self, at least the shy girl she had been around Angel...then just as quickly dismissing thoughts of her first love, she did not want to associate him with anything that happened in this place in her future.

"You are experienced," Francois said, more of a statement than a question as he gently trailed his index finger along the string of pearls on Buffy's neck.

"If you mean, have I been with a man, than yes," she answered quietly as she told her body to not pull away, she had to do this for her sister slayer, and for everyone she left behind in Sunnydale.

"You would be experienced enough to train someone in the ways of carnal knowledge," Francois said as his hand dropped from Buffy's neck and started seeking out her breast, it slipping inside the fabric of her top.

"Yes," she agreed, /-/Don't hit him, don't hit him, you'll break his jaw if you did.../-/

"Wonderful," Francois purred as his hand travelled lower. "My son's eighteenth birthday is coming up soon. You will make a wonderful present for him."

"If that is what you wish, and it was approved by Mr. Carrows," she nodded slowly. /-/Okay one guy couldn't be that bad...he knew nothing, no chance of violent tendancies...God willing./-/

"Now be a good girl and go and fetch Fyre for me," Francois said suddenly as he sat back, distancing himself from Buffy.

"As you wish," she rose and made her way off to where Ginny was, "Fyre," she spoke softly as she stopped behind her.

"Excuse us," Ginny said, dismissing the young man that was standing in front of her, out of Buffy's view until he walked away from them and he became visible as Ginny turned around. "Summer," she said, her voice flat.

"He sent me for you," Buffy answered softly.

Ginny nodded before looking around to see who was nearby, seeing Jenny making her way in their direction she stopped the other woman as she neared them. "Jenny, this is Summer. She's new here. Simon wants her to shadow me but Francois' pretty upset. Can she shadow you for a little while?"

"Of course, Fyre," Jenny said.

"Thanks," Ginny replied before walking away and making her way back over towards where Francois was waiting for her.

"Hi Summer, I'm Jenny," the woman said, holding her hand out to Buffy.

"Nice to meet you, Jenny," Buffy shook her hand. "So, shall we?" she looked around the club, "I do not wish to make things difficult for you by keeping you from your work."

"My job and by extension, your job, since I see you're also a black pearl is a lot easier than Fyre's, poor girl. No girl deserves what she's had to go through and it will only get worse," Jenny said. "Come on, follow me," she instructed.

"Simon explained that a blue pearl is one who has never been touched, is it true that each strand of pearls she has gained was through a bidding war?" Buffy asked quietly as they walked.

"Yes," Jenny replied just as quietly. "She received the fourth one last night. She'll receive the next one in six month's time. Simon started the bidding last night at a thousand pounds."

"Bloody hell. I'll admit my first time in the end was not as I once dreamed, but at least I knew my first love loved me before I lost him..." she sighed, still having a hard time dealing with what she already knew was coming for the other girl.

"I know. I just hope it's Francois like Fyre believes it will be. He's kind to her. He's not like the other arseholes in this place," Jenny said.

"Should I be afraid of the others in here then?"

"Not really. They don't really do anything that they haven't paid for. Peterson and Watersly are pretty good about making sure they don't do anything they aren't supposed to and if they can't deal with it, Simon will usually deal with it. Nothing goes on in this club that Simon doesn't know about. The worst you'll have to worry about from one of the guys who hasn't paid for one of your services is they'll get a little grabby at times," Jenny explained.

"Well, that's good I suppose," Buffy nodded. "So, before Simon gets upset that I'm not pulling my weight or something like that, what should I be doing if there is no one that's paid for my services?"

"If you're not 'entertaining' someone, then you're serving drinks," Jenny said as she picked up a tray from the bar.

"That I can do," Buffy smiled as Watersly passed her a second tray and she followed Jenny.

**:-:-:-:-:-:**

_**Meanwhile…**_

"You asked for me, Francois?" Ginny said as she entered the room.

"Close the door, Fyre," Francois said, his voice quiet as he pulled out his wand.

Ginny hesitated the minute she saw him draw the wand but forced her body into action, closing the door behind her as she heard him mutter what sounded like silencing and locking charms, the door glowing faintly around her.

"Francois…" Ginny began as she turned around, only to have her words trail off as his hand was suddenly around her throat and she was being thrown back against the door.

"You know better than to keep me waiting, Fyre," he purred, his voice deadly calm and quiet.

"I'm…I'm sorry," Ginny choked as she felt his grip tighten around her throat. "I was…was showing Summer a…around and didn't…didn't see you come…come in."

"In that case I shall forgive you…" Francois said as he released his hold on Ginny and turned away from her.

"Thank you, Francois," Ginny sighed as she rubbed her throat before walking up behind him and placing her hands on his back and leaning into him. "I know I don't deserve your forgiveness…

Francois spun so suddenly that Ginny was caught completely off guard and soon found herself pinned once more up against the door, her throat back in his strong and pressing grip. "I will forgive you, Fyre, but first you must scream for me," he said as he pointed his wand at Ginny and whispered the one word Ginny had hoped to never hear once leaving the Wizarding World. "Crucio," he hissed. "Scream for me, Fyre," he ordered when Ginny had not done as he said, pressing harder on her throat, and the intensity of the spell increasing as his anger flared.

It wasn't long before Ginny couldn't hold it in any longer and she let out an ear-piercing scream that no one but she and Francois could hear thanks to the silencing spell he'd placed on the room earlier.

"_Now_ you are forgiven, Fyre," Francois said after he released the curse and his hold on Ginny's throat, catching her before she could collapse to the floor. "I'm sorry Fyre but you know how I _hate_ to be kept waiting, even for the smallest amount of time. Please try to remember that in future so that I don't have to do a repeat of this lesson which hurt me more than it hurt you, I assure you," he told her as he laid her down on the table.

"Now allow me to make it all better for you," he said as he put his wand away and began massaging Ginny's body, beginning at his favourite part, her breasts. "I can't wait to be able to feel you around me Fyre," he commented as his hands made quick work of removing Ginny's thong and throwing it onto the floor behind him before climbing up on the table and laying down next to Ginny and draping one leg over hers so that she could feel his rock hard erection pressing into her hip as his hand started manipulating her. "Don't get me wrong, Fyre, I thoroughly enjoy being able to taste you this way but it will be much more…_pleasurable_," he purred in her ear as he withdrew his hand from her completely, causing her to whimper in frustration as he had gotten her so close and now he seemed determined to deny her release. "Would you like that Fyre? Something…_ pleasurable_?" he asked. When Ginny nodded, his hand returned to finish what it had started and a few minutes later he leaned down and kissed Ginny, just as she crested the wave of orgasm, making sure his fingers stayed inside her and his thumb kept manipulating her, drawing out her orgasm for as long as possible. "There's a good girl," he said, a note of pride in his voice," when he broke the kiss. "I have to go, Fyre," he said as he rose from his spot next to Ginny, picking up his belongings and exiting the room, breaking the spells he'd placed earlier.

A few minutes after Francois left, Ginny carefully climbed off the table and pulled her thong back on. Simon had a strict 'clothing on' policy in the main club. Once 'dressed' Ginny made her way out of the room and straight for the change room.

Buffy had seen Francois leave and kept her eye out for any sign of Ginny, until she saw the other girl bolt through the main room towards the change room. After a few minutes she glanced towards Jenny who nodded, and returned her tray to the bar on her way to the room. "Fyre?" she called softly as she opened the door.

"Leave me alone," replied Ginny quietly, her voice shaky.

"You actually expect me to do that?" Buffy countered quietly as she entered the bathroom, the lingering scent in the air left no doubt in her mind Ginny had just lost anything that might have been in her stomach, and she was trembling from head to toe...Grabbing a washcloth she got it wet with cool water before sinking down to the floor and gently pressing it against Ginny's forehead, the younger girl was curled in on herself, arms around her knees as she shook. "I know it seems impossible, but try to take deep breaths," she whispered as she brushed the cloth against Ginny's flushed skin.

"I should get back out there," Ginny said after a few minutes as she climbed shakily to her feet only to collapse back to the floor before she ever really got her feet under her.

"Are you sure? You look about ready to collapse, Sweetheart," Buffy countered. "I know that you have a job to do, but I'm sure that Simon would not want you out there when you're in this state…you need a chance for your body to heal from being sick…" she continued quietly, mentally trying to figure out what the hell just happened and what would be the easiest way to beat the crap out of Francois if he was the one responsible...which it couldn't very well be anyone else...

"Is everything alright in here?" Simon called out as he walked into the change room. When he noticed Buffy was missing from the floor, he asked Jenny where she was and was told to find her in the change room. "Summer? Fyre? Are you alright?"

"Hate me later but I cannot let you go out there now, Fyre," Buffy whispered before moving past her and pulling the door shut behind her as she faced Simon. "Fyre's ill, Mr. Carrows..."

"She was perfectly fine an hour ago, Summer. What's going on here?" Simon demanded.

"Perhaps she had something that disagreed with her stomach while she was with Mr. Francois…" Buffy offered before releasing the doorknob and moving enough so he could go in if he wanted, but not where he could enter and shut her out...or Ginny could come out if she was trying to.

"No food was served to them," Simon countered. "Tell me the truth, Summer. What's going on here."

"I don't know, I came in to see her and found her in the washroom. She had been sick and was trembling. Still is honestly," Buffy answered quietly. /-/Please don't hold this against me, Fyre./-/

Simon looked at Buffy in confusion before stepping past her and opening the door behind her, finding Ginny exactly as Buffy had left her. "Fyre," Simon said as he knelt down next to Ginny. "Fyre what happened? Was it Francois?" he asked, not liking the fact that Ginny seemed to turn away from him even more when he said Francois' name. "Fyre _look_ at me," he insisted as he took a hold of Ginny's chin and turned her face to his. "_Look_ in my eyes, Fyre," he ordered.

As Ginny's eyes met his, Simon inhaled sharply when he saw a look that was never supposed to be in the eyes of the young woman in front of him. "Cruciatus?" he asked quietly.

Ginny nodded in reply, tears slowly starting to fall from her eyes.

"Bloody hell," Simon cursed. He'd promised his Lord that no harm would come to the girl and yet six months in she'd been tortured once, if not more, without his knowledge. "Francois?"

Ginny nodded again.

"I'm sorry, Fyre. This was never supposed to happen. You were never supposed to feel that pain," Simon apologized. "Summer?"

"Yes Mr. Carrows?" Buffy stepped into the room, mentally trying to remember why she knew the term Cruiactus...they gave her far too much knowledge all at once; she couldn't sort through it when she wanted to...

"I'm giving you and Fyre the rest of the night off. Take her home and make sure she's okay," Simon said. "You're apartment is across the hall from hers."

"As you wish," she nodded, "Fyre, what's your lock combo?" she asked gently.

"Sixteen…seven…thirty-five," Ginny said quietly.

Buffy nodded before rushing over and spinning the lock and grabbing her jacket before spinning and just letting the door slam shut with the momentum. "Come on, Sweetheart, let's get you home."

Ginny allowed Simon to help her to her feet as Buffy helped her into her coat before letting Buffy help her out of the changeroom and out of the club.

Buffy stayed quiet on the walk back, only finally speaking up when she reached the hall to both of their apartments, quietly asking Ginny for the keys that were in the pocket of her jacket. Buffy grabbed them and opened the door before leading her in, closing the door with her foot and reaching back to flick the lock into place. "Does a bath sound okay, Sweetheart?"

"Make it a really hot one," Ginny replied, her voice barely louder than a whisper with a hint of rawness to it still.

"Okay, what about tea? Do you think your throat can handle some yet?" she asked as they started towards the bathroom.

"Please," Ginny said. "But can I get in the tub first?"

"Of course, I was planning to get it while you were in the tub," she explained softly, stepping away from Ginny to turn the water on, "Something tells me you might need help, but the question is, are you comfortable with me helpng you?" she spoke as she turned to look at Ginny.

"I've spent the last six months almost completely naked around strange men, I don't really mind anymore. I've…" Ginny sighed suddenly. "I don't know anymore," she laughed, a slight hysterical note to her laughter.

"Shh, it's okay," Buffy whispered as she crossed the space between them in two steps, taking Ginny's hand and leading her to the side of the tub. "I know that you barely know me, Sweetheart, but I'm asking you to trust me…"

"I don't know who to trust anymore," Ginny said as she tried to wipe her tears away.

"I know, Sweetheart, I know," Buffy agreed before reaching up and carefully pushing her jacket back, moving around Ginny to help take it off gently.

"I need someone I can trust…someone I can turn to for help…" Ginny said.

"I know Fyre, I know," Buffy answered before reaching out and gently picking apart the bows on either side of her hip, pulling the fabric down by the strings before she straightened, pausing only long enough to check the temperature on the water. "Come on, the water will help your muscles…you will feel better soon, my Love…"

"You promise?" pleaded Ginny, her voice almost childlike and sounding like the lost little girl she truly was, not the grown woman her body portrayed.

"I promise." /-/Sometimes Fyre, Slayer healing is a true blessing...this sure as hell is one of those times,/-/ Buffy thought with a mental sigh. "Come on, in the tub then I'll get you some nice tea and I'm sure I can hunt down some chocolate that will melt in your mouth...the good stuff..." she continued as she took Ginny's arms and held her steady.

"Sounds wonderful," Ginny said as she carefully stepped into the tub and lowered herself down with Buffy's help.

Once she was settled, Buffy quickly made her way into the kitchen and put the kettle on, hunting quickly through the cupboards to find the tea, keeping an ear out for anything in the bathroom as she got everything together. A few minutes later, cup of tea with lemon and honey as her mom use to make it, "Fyre?"

"You can come in," Ginny replied.

"Tea," she held it up as she moved into the bathroom. " How are you feeling? A little better, yes?"

"A little," Ginny said taking the cup from Buffy, her hands still shaking slightly but not as much as before.

"Good, by morning you will feel much better, perhaps not completely healed but you will feel better."

"I doubt it," Ginny mumbled quietly, remembering how long it took Harry to recover after his fight with Tom in the graveyard and suffering the Cruciatus at his hand.

"I know so," Buffy countered softly. "Do you want me to stay? Or wait out in the living room?"

"Would…would you stay? I don't…I don't want to be alone right now. Not after…"

"Of course," Buffy smiled. "Would you like something to take your mind off of things?"

"Yes please."

"Okay," Buffy nodded as she searched her mind, "So, how about I tell you about myself?"

"Sounds good," Ginny said quietly.

"Well, I was the oldest of two girls, my sister Dawn was born when I was six," she began with a smile, "Our mum's name was Joyce, she died a few months ago, cancer and then an annurism, there was nothing that could have been done…"

"I'm sorry," Ginny said. "I know what it's like to lose family."

"It sucks, doesn't it?" Buffy nodded, "Mum was...she was great, you would have like her. She would have liked you…she had an art gallery, God only knows how she still found the time to take care of us…My Dad, his name is Rupert, but everyone called him Giles, very British and proper he is…exceedinly smart too, God knows I never lived up to his expectations…was not smart, barely got through my schooling, not like Dawnie, she's always been the smart one…"

"I'm sure he loved you just the same," Ginny commented, a note of sadness entering her voice.

"Oh, I know he did…" Buffy nodded, deciding a change in topic was needed, "How about a funny story though? Well, it's funny looking back on it…"

"All right."

"So in my secondary years I had a couple of really close friends...Willow, she was smart, as you can guess, genius really...Xander, I know that is the oddest name, is it not?" she smiled, "They grew up together, I was the outsider at first...then there was Cordy, one of those classic queen bees, rich spoiled types...over time she became not quite as…rich spoiled type but still we were never best friends...She and Xander dated for a bit, why she was really part of the group...Then there was my Angel," she smiled softly, "Anyway, it was All Hallow's Eve the fall before I turned seventeen. We all did costumes, were taking kids out and about...Xander was a soilder, it was cheap quite honestly I think...Cordelia was a black cat, Angel was a vampire," she paused to smile again, so it _wasn't_ a costume...but for the point of the story it worked..."Willow I tried to get to go as something out of her usual personality, she looked so cute but she could not go out with that much skin showing and everything, she went with a sheet over her as a ghost instead..."

"I know how she feels," Ginny sighed.

"Yes," Buffy nodded solemnly, "It takes time to be able to accept yourself, took Willow a few years..."

"Lucky her," Ginny mumbled.

"Fyre, Sweetheat...believe me, someday you will be in the exact same place, happy with you are…it just takes time. Sometimes it takes longer than others, I'm four years older than you are and I'm just now starting to truly accept myself for who I am."

"But in order to accept who you are, Summer, you have to _know_ who you are in the first place and I don't have the slightest idea of who I am anymore. I did once, but that person doesn't exist anymore," countered Ginny.

"That's the longest part of accepting who you are, finding out who you are…some people can go a lifetime with no idea who they are, simply seeing themselves in the eyes of others…Who you were, the best parts are sill inside you, everything you do shapes you, and God willing you will become someone you like…you just have to take control of your life and live it the way you want to…"

"How can you do that if you've lost everything? You're cut off from pretty much everything you grew up with? The people you thought you could trust are no longer there to support you?"

"You learn to depend on yourself, and you find new friends, new family and people you can trust that will be there for you through everything life throws your way…"

"It was hard enough making friends the first time around after everything I went through and now…How do you make friends working a job like we do?" commented Ginny.

"You would be surprised…they come at you, they appear in your life and they never let you go, they don't give you a choice but to have them in your life…you just have to accept them as they come."

"Do you fall into that category?" asked Ginny quietly, not making eye contact with Buffy as she played with her cup.

"Yes, Love, you're stuck with me whether you like it or not…There is so very much to come in life, I plan to be there with you every step of the way…"

"Then would you mind?" Ginny asked as she held her hands out towards Buffy. "I don't know if I can get out of here on my own."

"Most certainly not," Buffy smiled before rising and grabbing a towel, tossing it over her shoulder before helping Ginny up to her feet and handing her the towel, "Do you think you can actually get your leg over the side of the tub?"

"I don't know if I can actually walk to tell you the truth," admitted Ginny.

Buffy nodded as her mind finally found the thing Simon had said in her newly given encyclopia of knowledge, she really wanted to beat up that man now... "Do not panic," she instructed, before Ginny could ask what she meant, Buffy bent enough to pick Ginny up and turned to go out of the bathroom, "So, couch or bed so you can sleep?"

It took Ginny a minute to process what was going on before she could get her mind to formulate an answer. "Bed…please."

"Bed it is," Buffy turned and headed towards the room she had figured out was the bedroom earlier; gently she laid Ginny down before sinking to sit on the edge of the bed. "Do you have any medicine creams for sore muscles?"

"In the medicine cabinet in the bathroom," Ginny said, as she leant over and reached for her Minnie Mouse nightshirt.

Buffy helped her grab it before heading towards the bathroom and returning with the bottle, "On your stomach Love, this will help to... "

"Thanks," Ginny said as she slowly rolled over.

"You're welcome. So, you like Disney, huh?" Buffy asked as she started to apply the stuff to Ginny's back.

"It's become my escape these days. I've gotten hooked on the old Mickey Mouse cartoons. It's my escape from reality."

"Very good escape, perhaps someday we can take a trip down to the park here in Europe...after all it'll only be a quick trip to Paris from here thanks to the chunnel..."

"Sounds like a nice thing to dream of," Ginny sighed.

"Did you know," Buffy smiled, "Dreams come true at Disney..."

"I've stopped believing in dreams," Ginny said sadly. "They're a luxury I can't afford."

"Then it's time that you learned to believe in dreams again," Buffy countered softly.

"Dreams are for other people, Summer. People who aren't me."

"Dreams are for everyone, Fyre, no matter what life they lead, or how much they believe they cannot dream," Buffy countered gently as she sat back. "Get some sleep Fyre, things will look a bit better in the morning."

"If you say so," Ginny said sleepily.

"I know so," Buffy countered gently, watching as Ginny fell asleep before rising and making her way out and over to her own place to grab a change of clothes and something to sleep in, then coming back to claim the couch so she could hear Ginny.

**:-:-:-:-:-:**

**Monday February 16****th****, 1998**

**London, England**

**Ginny's apartment**

**10:21 am**

**:-:-:-:-:-:**

Ginny rolled over, groaning slightly as images of the events from the night before flashed through her mind. She knew there was no way she'd be able to go running, not after what Francois had put her through before molesting her like he did. /-/That's odd,/-/ Ginny thought as she smelt something cooking as she slowly climbed out of bed. "Summer?" she asked in confusion when she saw the other woman standing at her stove in the kitchen.

"Morning Fyre," Buffy glanced back at her and smiled. "I hope you like French toast..."

"I haven't had French toast since...since I left school," Ginny said as she made her way into the kitchen. "What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't very well just leave you all night," she shrugged. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than I actually thought I would," Ginny admitted. "You stayed here all night?"

"Yeah, you know, your couch is actually quite comfortable," she smiled before grabbing a plate and dishing up breakfast. "Do you like syrup with yours?"

"The syrup's the best part," replied Ginny. "Summer...you didn't have to stay you know."

"Ahh but I did," Buffy countered as she grabbed the syrup and butter, the rest of the table already set, "Friends do not leave when one needs them."

"Why would you want to be my friend? I treated you horribly last night at the club."

"You were concerned and not wanting me to get involved in the club," she pointed out before sliding the syrup towards Ginny.

"Because you have no idea of what you've gotten yourself involved in. _Who_ you've gotten yourself involved with," countered Ginny. "These are_ not _nice men, Summer."

"I know, Fyre, believe me, I know more than you think."

"Summer, you've gotten yourself involved in a world you know nothing about."

"Not quite," Buffy shook her head.

"Meaning what exactly?" demanded Ginny

Buffy sighed, debating whether or not to spring this on her now, though she imagined Ginny wouldn't let it go... "I know that Simon's a wizard."

"What are you talking about? Simon's not a wizard. There's no such thing," Ginny said, trying to laugh it off

"Then there's no such thing as the Cruciatus Curse," Buffy countered, lowering her fork and folding her arms in front of her on the table as she focused on Ginny. "The state you were in last night and even still in this morning would seem to disprove that, Love," she continued softly.

Ginny didn't know what to say and knew she couldn't lie when she was been stared at in such a manner. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said as she suddenly rose from the table and walked over to the counter, keeping her back to Buffy as she leant her weight into her hands

"Relax Fyre, I'm not here to hurt you or anything like that. I'm not a witch and I'm certainly not about to run off and do anything you could be thinking I might do."

"You have no idea what I'm thinking right now," countered Ginny.

"Very true, I don't... but I would like to."

"Who sent you here? I doubt it would have been my parents since they couldn't care less if I died, hell they wished I'd died ever since I was born. Was it Harry or better yet, was it Dumbledore? What? Did they think if they found me it would make a difference? That I would come crawling back to them begging for forgiveness for something I had no choice but to do what I did? I know Tom didn't send you because he already has me so it's not like he needs you to win me over to his side or anything and if he thinks that using me against Harry will work he's in for a _big_ surprise," Ginny snarled as she spun around to face Buffy before storming out of the kitchen.

Buffy sighed before rising and following after her, "Fyre, I don't know _any_ of those people you just mentioned, I have never met any of them…"

"Then _what_ is going on here, Summer?" Ginny demanded as she stopped her pacing. "My life has been spiraling out of control for the past two years and now this. I don't know how much more of this I can take, Summer."

"I know, Sweetheart, I know," Buffy answered softly, "Two years ago, you changed, but you didn't understand why…"

"Everything started to fall apart and nobody would tell me why," Ginny said as tears began to slide silently down her cheeks. "My nightmares increased and…nobody would listen..."

"I know, and even if they had, they probably would have thought you were crazy, dreams about vampires and demons…" Buffy sighed, remembering when she was first called.

"How..."

"I had them to," Buffy smiled sadly.

"You had them too? But how?" asked Ginny in confusion.

"This may take a bit to get out okay?" Buffy began as she sat down. "I'm a Slayer, Love, a vampire Slayer. I was called when I was fifteen, basically I'm stronger than other humans, faster, I heal faster…"

"A slayer? What's a slayer?"

"There's this whole big speech, into every generation there is a girl, one girl who has the strength and all that to fight evil, the vampires…yes, that is the _very_ shortened version…Basically the Slayer is a girl, who is the one to fight vampires and demons, keeps the rest of the world safe…"

"Demons and vampires seem to be the least of my problems," Ginny muttered under her breathe. "And how does this relate to me?"

"You're a Slayer, Fyre," Buffy answered softly.

"You're joking right? There's no way I could be a slayer. You said one girl _and_ you said you were a slayer yourself so how can I _possibly_ be a slayer?"

Buffy sighed once more, "Normally a new Slayer is only called when another one dies…two years ago I was in a battle with a very old vampire Master, there was this prophecy…stupid thing it was translated wrong, but in the end I went and faced him and he left me unconscious in a pool of water, face down. Xander, who I mentioned earlier, and my Angel arrived and Xander used CPR to bring me back…technically though I was dead for a few minutes, long enough for the Slayer line to be activated…none of us knew it at the time until the new Slayer showed up in town, her name was Kendra…Now that is where things get complicated I'm afraid," she paused so Ginny could get her say if she had something to say.

"If this girl Kendra was called after you, _how_ does that make _me_ the slayer?"

"I only just learned much of this myself, I'm afriad…There are people called Watchers, who watch over the Slayer and Potentials, girls who could be called as the Slayer…To be honest, most of them are complete idiots…but there are a few who are halfway decent…Anyway, long ago, the Watchers Council, those in charge of the Watchers, decided they did not like having a Slayer who was not only stronger than them, thanks to the natural Slayter abilities, but one who has magic that they can not compete with at all…so they made a deal with those in charge of the Wizarding World, that when a girl was born, a witch, who was a potential, they were watched by the Wizarding World and if she was called as the Slayer, they would use a spell to activate another, the Watcher's Council being left out of the loop completely. And then they would not tell the girl she was a Slayer for some stupid reason…" Buffy stopped to take a breath.

"So what, they left them to die is that it? Is that what the world expects of me?" demanded Ginny as she reached into the bedside table and pulled out a gun. "Because I can easily accommodate them if that's what they want," she said as she raised the gun to her temple.

"_NO!_" Buffy yelled, springing from her spot to knock Ginny over and send the gun flying God only knew where, then have it go off and hit the ceiling. "Okay, let's get a few things straight before I let you up," she began as she pinned Ginny down. "There's to be no killing yourself, trust me, for some _ungodly_ reason Slayers do not get the _luxury_ of staying dead, well some of us, and it's just not the best thing in the world to deal with…Your blasted Wizarding World be damned, the God-damned Watcher's Council be damned, I _do not_ give a crap what they think or want, because you know what, here's what _I_ want. _I_ want my sister slayers alive and well and all that crap. I want each and _every one_ of them to be who they were _meant_ to be and God help us all who are caught in this life but it does not matter where we're all from, we are _family_ and that is all that matters _damn it_, we are _sisters_…"

"How do I know you won't abandon me like my other so called family?" demanded Ginny from her spot on the floor under Buffy.

Buffy sighed sadly, "I was not there when our sister slayer, Kendra, died, a fact that I will _always_ regret…perhaps I could not have saved her but I will never know that now. Kendra was the one called after you…Faith is our other sister, I was not there for her either, I kept secrets and she found solace and friendship in the man that was our enemy that year…For a _brief_ moment in time we were close again, when she first went into a coma, when she woke up though, our old demons came between us…I was writing her when I could, trying to put our demons to rest but it was hard coming, I failed _her_ to…I've _already_ failed you for two years Fyre, by not being there, I _will not_ loose another of my family if I can help it. I will _not_ be leaving you, no matter _what_ happens, no matter if we grow to hate each other, or if you tell me to leave, you will be stuck with me for _life_, Fyre…Just as I _know_ you would be stuck with Kendra and Faith if they were here with us now. No matter what."

"I've been hurt too many times to count, Summer. Turned away and abandoned by people who were _supposed_ to love me and care for me. My _own_ family didn't even want me. I was a _mistake_. What makes you any different?"

"You may not feel it now, but there is a _strong_ connection between Slayers. There was never supposed to be more than one of us at a time. It makes us fight like cats and dogs, makes us _hate_ each other _because_ we are compared to each other by people who really don't know us, leaves us feeling like we have to live up to the other at times…_But_ through it all, we know that if one of us needs the other, we'd be there. Because the _only_ other people in the world that _know_ what we are going through is _each other_…Being a Slayer is not easy, it's hard as _hell_, and even when you're surrounded by people, even when I was surrounded by my family and friends who knew, I still felt like I was alone, Faith was the same way…It is a life that _no one_ other than a Slayer could understand, the life we live…And I'm rambling like an idiot," Buffy sighed. "I guess it all comes down to this for now. Something tells me that the fact that we're Sister Slayers would not be enough to convince you, so I guess I just have to say that I _can't_ convince you, I have to _prove_ it you as time goes by."

"And how do you plan to do that?" demanded Ginny. "It's not like there are any vampires around here or anything for you to slay."

Buffy chuckled, "Girl, you have no clue just how many vampires are around here. And not just vampires, there are demons and all sorts of other little bad guys that we fight," she explained as she got up, offering her hand to Ginny to help her up too.

"But aren't most of them _night_ creatures?" asked Ginny as she let Buffy help her to her feet.

"Vampires yes, demons…there are some who hang around in the daytime…but to be honest they all seem to perfer the night hours to have their fun."

"Well then that's going be a bit of a problem isn't it since we work at night. I don't think Simon's going to let us come and go as we please because we have to kill a few of their friends that go bump in the night," Ginny pointed out.

"We do what I did before my mother knew, we work around work, besides vampires have a pretty interesting schedule. They go where they have a better chance of finding food. The hours just after sunset and just before dawn are their favourites, so we go after work. We read the papers and figure out who might be a new vampire to rise and stake out their grave. Once we spread the word that there's a new Slayer in town, a good number of things will probably get out of town…And fortunately, we do not live on the Hellmouth so it should not be as busy for us as it was for me and Faith."

"Did you say Hellmouth?" asked Ginny in concern.

"Yes, an evil little nasty thing. I spent five years guarding it, save for a brief period when I tried to escape who I was, for the second time in as many years…long story, " she shrugged. "Don't worry though, it's far away from here and they have people watching over it now, of that I'm sure."

"So it's protected then. Nobody can gain access to it?" continued Ginny worriedly.

"It's protected, and after five years, if a master vampire, a bunch of other really old vampires and the Scourge of Europe himself, a demon one hundred years in the making, a psycho government project, and a hellgod could not get it open and control it, I doubt anything can get past the Hellmouth's guardians."

"You haven't met Tom yet. He gets what he wants, I'm proof of that and once he takes care of things here he plans to turn his attention to the Hellmouth," Ginny commented.

And he hasn't gone up against a Slayer yet," Buffy countered. "Love, if the Hellmouth needs protecting, it's not just one person there. There's a Watcher who can also use magic by calling upon nature, two Muggle witches who have their own coven, a vampire who fights with them, another long story…and with one phone call they can have the Scourge of Europe himself there with his companions, a seer, a former Watcher turned demon hunter, a demon hunter who has a gang of his own and I'm pretty sure they would get Faith out of prison if need be…And they have the resources of the Watcher's Council…Tom is used to wizards and witches, and Muggles who don't fight back…he would not have it as easy as he expects if he goes after the Hellmouth…but then again, there are no guarantees that he will win here, you never know what the future holds."

"I pray you're right Summer, because if Tom does win…" Ginny trailed off as her thoughts turned to the nightmare world Tom had promised her he would create when he'd had her in the Chamber of Secrets years before.

"Fyre, I haven't stopped seven apocolypses, sent the man I loved to hell, given up my life, lost my Sister Slayer, and all the other hell I've lived through to let some egomaniacal man destroy the world," Buffy shrugged. "Trust me, it's not over until the fat lady sings as Xander says."

"Remind me not to introduce you to the portrait that guards the Gryffindor common room then," Ginny said.

Buffy scrunched her nose up while wrinkling her forehead in confusion before shrugging, "I think I'm better off lost there..."

"Unlike the Muggle world, portraits and pictures in the Wizarding World move, talk, you name it. They can even move between portraits. The portrait that guards my common…the portrait that guards the Gryffindor common room was known as the Fat Lady. At the start of my second year, she wouldn't let us through until she showed us how she could break a wine glass with just her voice," Ginny explained.

"Oh that just sounds scary..." Buffy shuddered. "Did she break it with her voice?"

"No. Just our eardrums. But that saying of yours 'when the fat lady sings' doesn't really work in my wo…what was my world," Ginny said.

"Okay well when the living, non-portrait fat lady sings. And it can still be your world if you want it to be…Do not let anyone judge you or take away what is your birthright, Sweethert…they're all fools and idiots," Buffy countered.

"I wish it could be my world, Summer. I don't care for this one very much but I don't fit in there anymore. I can't do even the simplest of spells and without my magic…without my magic I'm nobody. More of a nobody than I was before I lost it," Ginny sighed.

Unfortunately, that's kinda my fault…the magic thing…" Buffy sighed.

"How can it be your fault, Summer. I only just met you yesterday."

"I died, you were called," Buffy shrugged. "I'll be honest, I'm still confused on everything. I learned a lot in a short amount of time before making my way here…when you were called, your magic changed. It became more of a weapon like you would need for fighting the things that go bump in the night. Basically it changed to be of the greatest use to you as a Slayer, except you had no one to tell you or train you to use it…stupid people in the past who put us all in this situation…" she grumbled.

"Guess that would explain the damage I inflicted on more than one occasion," Ginny mumbled as she rubbed her face. "I don't know who enjoyed it more, me or Professor Snape; he sure seemed to enjoy taking house points off me every time and giving me my fair share of horrid detentions. Mind you I did enjoy getting the drop on Malfoy that day," she laughed. "The look on his face when a mere fifth year put him in the Hospital Wing. I would have loved to have seen his father when he found out. Wonder why he didn't come after me. I half expected him to be banging down the school doors demanding my head for touching his precious son."

"Malfoy?" Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Oh this sounds like an interesting story."

"That would be Draco Malfoy, only child of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, probably _the_ richest family in the Wizarding World. Needless to say Draco thought the world of himself and he thought everyone else should share that opinion. My family on the other hand had very little so Draco considered us the scum of the earth and made it his lot in life to torment my brother and his friends and by extension me. Well I'd been having a _really_ bad day, I'd been chewed out by every professor I'd had that day and I really didn't want to have to deal with Malfoy and all his bullshit so when he started taunting me I couldn't deal with it so without thinking I just turned and slugged him, only I put _all_ of my strength into it, which sent him flying backwards across the Entrance Hall and crashing into the far wall. He ended up with a broken nose, broken jaw, a few broken and cracked ribs plus the world's worst concussion," Ginny explained.

Buffy couldn't help but snicker, "I would have loved to have seen that. And on that note, that would be a good reason for me being here, so you can learn to control your strength…"

"Well that was sort of the beginning of the end for me. I was in detention for the rest of the year," Ginny sighed.

"Well fuck, that just sucks," Buffy grumbled, "Though I can relate. I got expelled and then proceeded to end up going through the wonderful, totally sucky Slayer school thing…they take away your Slayer gifts and make you face a vampire…fortunately I totally managed to kill that stupid thing so you don't have to face it…"

"Although from what you've told me, I wouldn't have to face it since I don't exist remember?" Ginny said. "What else is new, it's the story of my life afterall."

"You know, that is the one thing I would not put past the Watcher's Council doing even to a Slayer that doesn't exist to them otherwise," Buffy sighed. "And I don't care what the others say Fyre, you exist. You are important, you were chosen…while many a time it sucks, it is also a great calling…And you always have the rest of us who have been called."

"If the Death Eaters don't kill me first."

"Sweetheart, they have to get through me first, and I have no intention of losing you anytime soon…"

"Now I know how this curse got its name," Ginny groaned as she collapsed back on her bed. "It causes excruciating pain that tends to linger."

"Are you in pain?" Buffy asked in concern.

"That would be the understatement of the year," Ginny groaned. "I feel like I'm being stabbed in a kazillion places all at the same time. Nobody bothers to tell us about the after effects of these blasted curses."

"Ugh," Buffy groaned, "Well, I suppose I could always grab the frying pan and knock you over the back of your head so you end up unconscious and then you won't be feeling the pain," she offered with a smile.

"Thanks but I'll pass on the head splitting migraine," Ginny replied sarcastically.

"Believe it or not, those tend to fade fairly quickly thanks to Slayer healing…unless of course it's a migraine because you're hearing the thoughts of every person in town…then it doesn't work so well…"

"I'm enough of a freak as it is; I don't need to add hearing the thoughts of others to this list, thank you very much."

"You are _not_ a _freak_," Buffy countered. "And trust me, one of the first things I'll be teaching you is what that annoying demon looked like who's bloody blood gave me the power to hear thoughts…it was cool at first, but nearly drove me insane in the end…and the potion to stop it…ugh, you do not even want to know."

"So when are these _lessons_ going to start, oh great teacher?" asked Ginny as she lifted her head slightly off the bed so she could look at Buffy. "Oh, not a good thing to do," she grumbled as she let her head fall back down to the bed.

"After you're feeling better," Buffy chuckled. "And don't even try to get up, just rest right now…I'll make sure to get you up in plenty of time for work…"

"What I wouldn't give to _not_ go into work," Ginny sighed. "Francois is the _last_ person I want to be seeing right now and I'm not in the mood to be groped by the general population. I've come _so_ close to punching a few of the guys but talked myself out of it, the Gods only know why."

"Because you don't want to be having any more incidents with that blasted spell?" Buffy suggested. "And I know, Sweetheart, but perhaps Mr. Carrows will not have you out among the general population tonight, he was quite worried about you last night."

"He was only worried about his prize possession. Heaven forbid anything happen to his cash cow, i.e. _me_."

"Perhaps, but that does not change the fact that he _was_ worried, and we might be able to use that concern to your advantage tonight."

"Oh, how's that?"

"I have a few ideas up my sleeve," Buffy smirked. "Don't worry now, just rest and concentrate on getting better. I'm going to run to my place, get changed and do a little bit of shopping for food and such, then I'll be back, okay?"

"Okay," Ginny agreed as she slowly rolled over so she was on her hands and knees before crawling up her bed and climbing back in, pulling the covers back over herself in the process.

Buffy watched her before nodding, "Anything special you want for dinner?"

"Whatever you like is fine," mumbled Ginny sleepily.

"Okay, night Fyre," Buffy smiled before making her way from the apartment and heading back the way they had come the night before.

**:-:-:-:-:-:**

**Monday February 16th, 1998**

**London, England**

**The Hidden Pearl**

**12:52 pm**

**:-:-:-:-:-:**

Thankfully, when Buffy arrived at her place of employment, Mr. Carrows was there, and she quickly made her way towards his office, waiting until he told her to enter after her knock.

"Enter," Simon called when he heard the knock.

"Mr. Carrows?" Buffy began as she walked in, "I was hoping I could speak with you about a few things…"

"What's on your mind, Miss Andrews?" asked Simon as he laid his pen down and sat back.

"I know that it's no doubt quite impossible for Fyre to have tonight off…I'm sure that Mr. Francois will be expecting to see her…but to be quite honest, she's still in quite a bit of pain and I know that she would not want me here telling you this but I'm concerned…Is there a way that she doesn't have to work among the general population tonight? Or perhaps you know of some sort of medicine that might help her? I tried all the things I could get at the drug store but they're obviously not up to the strength that a medicine from a doctor would be…"

"As it turns out Miss Andrews, Mr. Zabini has been called out of town on business. He'll be unavailable to spend time with Fyre for at least the next three to four days. As such, despite the amount of money the club brings in when Fyre is present, I don't see why Fyre cannot take the next few days off to recover after the incident last night," Simon said as he pulled open one of the drawers in his desk and pulled out two bottles. "Give her these. The pink one is to be taken orally and will help with the pain, the other one can be rubbed into her muscles to stop any muscle spasms she may be suffering," he said as he held the bottles out to Buffy.

"Thank you…" she nodded as she took them," I have one more question then, Mr. Carrows…"

"What is that Miss Andrews?"

"I know that I just started work, but might I be able to have the time off too, to be with Fyre?"

"I don't see why not. Fyre's not as old as she likes to pretend she is and she needs someone to look after her. I would appreciate it if that person was you," Simon said.

"Thank you, Mr. Carrows," Buffy nodded. "You have my cell phone number if we happen to be out of the house if you need to reach us?"

"Of course. I'll see you and Fyre in four days time."

Buffy nodded before quickly making her way from the building and on to her other stops before heading back to Ginny's flat.

**:-:-:-:-:-:**

**Monday February 16th, 1998**

**London, England**

**Ginny's Apartment**

**5:15 pm**

**:-:-:-:-:-:**

After she had made dinner, Buffy finally made her way into Ginny's room to wake her up as the roast was in the oven. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of what everyone would think if they knew how well she could cook now... Shaking away those thoughts though, she walked up to the bed, armed with both bottles and a glass for the one she had to drink if Ginny wanted...Hopefully, if these were magical like Buffy figured, they would kick in right away. Then she just had to tell Ginny about the no work thing and the fact they were due at the closest Chunnel station before the sun made its appearance actually…And if she felt up to it, tonight they could do a bit of shopping if she wanted, on Buffy. Course they could just save the shopping for Paris…

"Summer?" asked Ginny groggily when she felt herself being shaken slightly.

"Morning Sunshine," Buffy grinned, "Dinner's in the oven, and I have good news."

"Good news? Is there truly such a thing?" asked Ginny as she rubbed her eyes and tried to sit up, only to groan and lay back down as her muscles protested to her moving, having stiffened up while she had been sleeping.

"Yes, there is," Buffy countered as she sat down. "You and I have the next three nights off and Mr. Carrows sent along these two bottles for you, one to drink and one to rub on your sore muscles. And before you say anything, I know it was probably not my place but I could not do anything to help with the pain and I figured there had to be some sort of magical aid that neither of us had access to."

"Oh Gods, it's the pink one," Ginny groaned when she got a look at the bottles.

"Pink one?" Buffy blinked trying to rack her brain for any information that would be useful...she really needed to sit and try and sort out all of the knowledge she gained.

"The pink potion. It looks pretty but its looks are deceiving. It tastes horrid," Ginny explained.

"Ewww," Buffy wrinkled up her nose. "Well, if it's any consolation, there's a roast with carrots, potatoes and onions in the oven and there's Caesar salad and apple pie that's going into the oven while we eat…"

"Are you trying to tell me I'm too thin or something?" asked Ginny curiously.

"No, I felt like a roast and apple pie, figured it would be a nice meal. Besides, Slayers are always tiny…fast metabolism. You can eat a lot and never really gain a pound. Comes in quite handy sometimes," Buffy shrugged. "So, pink potion in cup or just from the bottle?"

"Just hand me the bottle," Ginny instructed, taking the bottle from Buffy before closing her eyes and downing the entire contents as quickly as she could, causing herself to choke a little bit in her haste to finish the potion.

"Water?" Buffy asked as she picked up the glass and moved towards the bathroom.

"Please," Ginny coughed.

"Here," Buffy spoke as she returned seconds later with the water.

"Thanks," Ginny said as she took the glass and downed it much the same as she had the potion moments before.

"Lotion then go get a much better taste in your mouth with dinner?" she offered, wishing there was more she could do for the woman who while technically younger than her, should be the same age if they had met when she herself was seventeen.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Ginny said. "Would you mind helping me?"

"Not at all," Buffy smiled softly before they went to work applying the lotion to all of Ginny's sore muscles.

"Thanks," Ginny said a short while later when Buffy was finished. "Dinner smells good. I haven't had a roast in I don't know how long."

"Honestly, I haven't had one since my Mom died, so I've been looking forward to it too…and I have a few more surprises for you after dinner, all good I promise," Buffy grinned, rather much like the cat that ate the canary.

"Food first," Ginny said as she climbed out of bed. "I haven't eaten since breakfast."

"I know," Buffy chuckled, "Are the potions working?"

"They seem to be," Ginny commented as she stood up, only to suddenly sit back down as she was hit by a dizzy spell. "Whoa, little more powerful than I'm used to."

"Deep breaths," Buffy instructed as she sat down next to her, rubbing Ginny's back. "Want to try it again?" she asked after a few moments, "This time I'll be helping?"

"Thanks," Ginny replied as she let Buffy help her to her feet once more. "I guess my body's not used to taking potions anymore. I haven't had one for the past year and half."

"That's probably very true," Buffy agreed as they made their way to the kitchen and she left Ginny in a chair while she grabbed the roast from the oven. Ten minutes later they were seated, enjoying the meal and the hot rolls she had neglected to mention earlier in her description of dinner, the pie in and quickly filling the house with the smell of apples and cinnamon.

"You did an amazing job on dinner, Summer."

"Thanks," Buffy smiled, placing the dishes in the sink and pulling the pie out. "So, how are you feeling?

"Better now that I've eaten. Sometimes the potions hit hard on an empty stomach," Ginny replied.

"I may never complain about hospitals again then," Buffy nodded. "Okay, as mentioned earlier this evening, Mr. Carrows expects to see us again in four days…so I came up with a bit of a plan of something to do for fun…"

"But what about Francois? Remember what happened when I was a few minutes late meeting him? How am I going to be able to take the next three days off and not pay the consequences?" questioned Ginny.

"He's not coming in for the next three nights."

"Oh. I see," Ginny said, knowing exactly what it was that would keep Francois Zabini away from 'his prized possession'.

"Exactly, so what do you say to making a dream come true?"

"Huh? Summer what are you talking about?" asked Ginny in confusion.

"We have a meeting tomorrow with the very person on your shirt," Buffy grinned.

"I'm lost."

"You and I have a meeting tomorrow with Minnie Mouse," she explained in more detail…well not all the details but some…"

"How is that possible?" questioned Ginny.

"Meaning?" Buffy raised an eyebrow.

"Meaning, how exactly are we going to see her? I mean, we live in London," Ginny said.

"I checked it out, the chunnel has a train that runs from here to Paris. From there it's a trip to the actual park and we have a hotel room waiting for us.

"We do? Summer, what's going on?"

"We're making a dream come true, Love. You said yesterday that a trip to the Disney park here in Europe seemed like a nice thing to dream of. Well, we're not going to be dreaming about it, we're going to be doing it."

"Oh," Ginny said before getting up from the table and walking out of the room.

Buffy quickly followed after her, "We don't have to if you don't want to, Sweetheart."

"It's not that, Summer. I _do_ want to go it's just…I've never really _been_ anywhere. Before I left home, I was pretty much either at home or at school. Coming to London on my own terrified me, still does to be honest," Ginny told Buffy as she paced.

"I don't blame you. This place is freaking huge," Buffy nodded. "But Love, you're not going alone on the trip…It's an adventure where we're both perfectly safe."

"As long as you promise you won't leave my side."

"Never," Buffy promised.

"Then what do I need to do?" asked Ginny nervously.

"Pack a few things, I was thinking, if you want we can do some shopping tonight. And I was thinking we could do a bit of shopping in Paris while we're there."

"Shopping? I'll need your help with that, I'm no good when it comes to Muggle clothes," Ginny said.

"Well Love, you're looking at a self-proclaimed, who's been verified by many who know me, shop-a-holic. I can certainly help with 'Muggle clothing'…give me time and you will be well versed in all things shopping related."

"I guess I better throw something on then. All I really have are running clothes though," Ginny commented.

"That doesn't matter," Buffy smiled. "And we will have apple pie á la mode when we get back."

"Give me five and I'll be ready to go," Ginny said as she walked into her bathroom.

While Ginny was getting ready, Buffy loaded up the dishwasher and turned the oven down so it would merely keep the pie warm while they were gone. When Ginny came back in, Buffy smiled and grabbed her purse before opening the door, "Come on Love, you have no idea what you signed up for by letting me loose," she teased.

"I'm ready to learn, oh wise one," Ginny laughed. "I live in the Muggle world now; I need to start dressing the part."

"Very true," Buffy nodded. "You will love it, there are so many options and you can really let your personality show based on what you wear…and there is nothing quite as fun as shopping for dressy clothes, one day we have to go to a fancy restaurant just so we can go and buy nice dresses and giggle like school girls while shopping for them."

"I'm just happy to be getting clothes that actually belong to me and actually _fit_ me. Not that my work attire doesn't fit me but I would kill for something a _little_ less revealing," Ginny commented.

"Oh, I don't blame you," Buffy sighed. "Those outfits from the club are horrid, especially for you…" she sighed once more as they made their way from the building and headed towards the mall Buffy had found directions to earlier.

"And that's why I can't wait for the next six months to be over. Course I'm not really looking forward to what's going to happen in six months time…" Ginny trailed off.

"Hopefully it will be easy for you," Buffy smiled gently.

"Only if it's someone _other_ than Francois," Ginny sighed.

"Perhaps it will be," Buffy shrugged. "We never know what the future holds. I was prophesized to die two years ago, we all were sure that I was going to my death…yet I lived just the same, when all was said and done."

"There is only one person I know of who could outbid Francois and I've yet to see him set foot inside the club."

"There's always hope," Buffy smiled before opening the doors to the mall. "Come on, no fretting about that now, we have a wardrobe to acquire."

"So where to first? I know nothing about buying Muggle clothes. I'm used to walking into a store and having a magical tape measure come out of nowhere and take measurements and then having my clothes show up at my house," Ginny said as she looked around the mall.

"Watch and learn young jedi," Buffy grinned as she took Ginny's hand and led the way to one of the stores.

**:-:-:-:-:-:**

**Tuesday February 17th, 1998**

**Paris, France**

**Paris Nord**

**3:00 pm (local time)**

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Tuesday morning found Buffy and Ginny boarding one of the trains that went to Paris, just before five-thirty. After a meal on the train, and all in all feeling like queens, and Buffy refusing to tell just how much this was all costing her, they found themselves in Paris Nord trying to find the RER line A towards Marne-La-Vallée-Cheesy if Buffy read the information right.

"Are you sure you know where we're going?" asked Ginny nervously.

"Pretty sure," Buffy shrugged. "Don't worry, worst comes to worst…we'll ask someone, we aren't stubborn men after all," she smiled before spotting the sign. "There we go," she pointed.

"Guess we better get over there then," Ginny said.

"Hear hear," Buffy grinned as they made their way towards the line. A few minutes later they were seated and headed towards Disneyland Paris.

The trip to the park passed rather in silence, quickly they made their way towards the Disneyland Hotel, themed to look like a Victorian style house done entirely in pastel pink, gabled roofs and bay windows, and all in all it looked like it came out of a fairytale. While Ginny looked around the lobby, Buffy checked in, all the while looking around in a bit of awe herself. They were led up to their suite, the Tinker Bell suite, that had a view of the Fantasia Gardens which Buffy completely fell in love with, the rooms giving off the charm and atmosphere of the Victorian Era like the rest of the hotel.

"This is our room?" asked Ginny in shock as she looked around. "Summer, are you sure about this? I mean it looks like it would be fairly expensive. You shouldn't have spent this much on me."

"First, you're not the only one staying here," Buffy point out, "and second, I have a lovely credit established from prior to the insanity that brought me to London." /-/Okay, so it's Powers that Be provided but that's just too complicated…/-/ she thought before continuing to Ginny, "And I'm pretty sure I will not be having a problem paying it off."

"Well, let me know if I can help in anyway. One advantage to being Francois' favourite, I get a share of the money he pays Simon for my company," Ginny said as she walked into the bathroom to check it out.

"Well, you get to buy all your own souvenirs, and if you want, I will not object to you paying for dinner and a couple other meals…" Buffy called as she walked towards the wardrobes. "Oh, wicked it has Tink carved on it…that's it, I want to take on of these home with me…"

"I don't think they'll let you take the furniture, Summer. Too bad my magic's all kafooey otherwise I could have recreated it for you…eventually if I'd ever learned that of course," Ginny shrugged. "I'd offer to try but I left my wand behind when I left the Wizarding World since I was too afraid to touch it for fear of what might happen if I did."

"Don't worry, I'm pretty sure your magic will work itself out, and I can always see about finding someone who can carve it someday," Buffy smiled. "So, unpack and then go wander around Disneyland? We have reservations for the Auberge de Cendrillon for dinner tonight…"

"Sounds good…I think," Ginny said as she picked up her newly acquired suitcase and put it on the bed.

"From what I read it's French food but the real draw is the dessert, Cinderella's Slipper…it sounded delicious. White chocolate and chocolate sauce and I think fruit of some type…I was focused on the chocolate…and I think I'm going to drool," she laughed.

"Girl, you just said the magic word. Screw unpacking, let's go," Ginny said suddenly grabbing Buffy's hand and dragging her towards the door.

Buffy just laughed as she managed to grab her bag as she got pulled along, soon after they were in the actual park. They took their time, hopping into a store to buy books for autographs and seeing the characters, Ginny fell completely in love with Cinderella when they got to meet her...They saw the dragon under the castle and did Phantom Manor and Pirates more than a couple times...before finally making their way to the restaurant for dinner. Both of course got the Cinderella Slipper for dessert, and even debated getting a second before realizing they could always come back. After seeing the night's fireworks, they made their way back to the hotel where their packages from their shopping were waiting, and much to their delight they found the cutest Mickey Mouse head made from three towels on the bed.

The next day they were up bright and early, having a character breakfast at Café Mickey before hitting Walt Disney Studios, spending the day there, doing even more shopping of course, and they rode the Tower or Terror half a dozen times, though it did bring back more than a few memories for Buffy, though she had to admit...it was kinda more fun on the ride than when you jump from a tower...Their second full day they had breakfast there at the Castle Club in the hotel, before heading into Paris to spend entirely too much money and go back loaded down with bags, wardrobes for the most part complete. They hit the Disney Village after that, stocking up on Disney related clothing, Buffy secretly buying a Cinderella dress in Ginny's size, plotting for Halloween already in full force. They went back to Disneyland for dinner at the Pizzeria Bella Notte, Buffy making her share a plate of spaghetti and meatballs in honour of the scene the restaurant was based around in Lady and the Tramp, even breaking out, quietly mind you, in song. They stopped at Fantasia Gelati for desert, and saw the fireworks once more before taking a nighttime ride on the Carousel and a few run throughs of Phantom Manor at night... it was so much cooler at night. Buffy even went up to one of the cast members working there to ask for an application to become the 1000th ghost, much to Ginny's amusement while also complete embarrassment, though they both laughed about the guy's laugh and told them to ask about it in City Hall.

Their last morning they had breakfast at Walt's in Disneyland, another character breakfast for one last time to get pictures with the characters, before raiding the La Confiserie des Trois Fées, where the three fairies from Sleeping Beauty were hard at work making sweets, stocking up on baked goodies and sweets. Finally though they packed up all of their things and headed back to Paris Nord to catch the one o'clock train back to London, getting back to their building just before four, both collapsing on Ginny's couch.

"That was…amazing," Buffy sighed wistfully. "Someday we so have to go to Disney World together…four parks girl…"

"Go to America?"

"Someday, Sweetheart, you will see the world if you want to…" Buffy smiled. "Never be afraid to dream, it makes life worth living."

"While it's a wonderful thought, Summer, with the bleak future I see before me, I'll just have to hold onto the memories from the past few days," Ginny said.

"Then I'll be doing the dreaming for the both of us. How does that sound?"

"It's about the best I can hope for. I really don't want to go into work tonight, not knowing that Francois awaits me at least," Ginny sighed. "I've also gotten used to being fully clothed once more; the last thing I want to do is to walk around practically naked."

"Well, I'll be there if you need me after anything happens with Francois, and it's only for work…and if you want, tomorrow we can start teaching you how to fight and you can take your frustrations out that way. It's surprisingly good for the mind and soul to beat the crap out of something when you're upset."

"Sounds good to me," Ginny said. "Guess we should start getting ready. See you in about thirty minutes?"

"Sounds good," Buffy nodded, as she stood, gathering up her stuff and headed towards her apartment.


End file.
